Amy Sprague joined WRI's Sustainable Enterprise Program in August 2000. She is the Manager for Mexico, India, and the Andes in the New Ventures project and coordinates the New Ventures Mentoring Program.

The launch of the BOP Circle in Mexico City last week presented a window into the BOP. In the first presentation, Mauricio del Villar showed us a slice of the remote Indian villages in the Mexican State of Chihuahua where he has been living for about two years. The village does not readily accept outsiders, so Mauricio had to earn their respect and acceptance over several months. He presented many of their customs and views, showing the differences between our "Western" goals, expectations, beliefs, and timelines, and the villagers'. The effect of this presentation on the audience was clear: We have no business even getting near these villages with the products we think could improve their lives. To me, BOP initiatives belong where the market has already penetrated. Villages that are virtually removed from the market and who have a healthy distrust of outsiders would not be the place to start market-based BOP initiatives.

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WRI's New Ventures program held its third Investor Forum in Mexico last week and honored four enterprises as winners of the Business Plan competition. All nine companies that presented in the competition were selected for their commitment to environment and their financial profitability. Winner's included Itanoni Flor de Maiz, a gourmet tortilla franchise promoting native Mexican varieties of corn; Indesin, a company producing cogeneration plants for clean energy; Lightcom, a company with several patents for innovative solar lighting solutions for both indoors and outdoors; and Proteak, a commercial teak farm that will improve degraded lands. Other companies included Tema, which uses water lilies to clean contaminated lakes; BioPremium, which produces organic mushrooms; Alibio, which produces organic fertilizers and water treatment systems; Rio y Montana, which provides active ecotourism excursions; and Movere, which specializes in ecologically-friendly pallets and logistics services.