Ms. Shen Genlian, The founder of Babo, won the APEC International Attractiveness Award on 3rd of November 2021, from a diverse group of effective entrepreneurs, innovators and managers around the APEC region.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to leverage the growing interdependence of the Asia-Pacific. APEC’s 21 members aim to create greater prosperity for the people of the region by promoting balanced, inclusive, sustainable, innovative and secure growth and by accelerating regional economic integration.
The annual APEC Business Efficiency and Success Target Award, known as the APEC BEST Award, provides an opportunity for the companies founded or managed by women in APEC region to introduce their business to more international partners and potential investors, and an APEC contest is held annually and aims to highlight the region’s best women-owned or women-managed business.
Ms. Shen represented China in the 2021 APEC Best Award competition, and won the International Attractiveness Award with the second highest score in the contest held on November 3rd of 2021.
During the APEC contest, Ms. Shen has explained in depth the concept of the “Babo” brand from several perspectives: “sustainable development”, “inclusive growth” and “Chinese smart manufacturing’”, which is highly consistent with the driving force advocated by APEC.
At the same time, Ms. Shen also expressed her unique insight on the manufacturing industry’s future path of development, she said that the environmentally friendly becomes more and more important for manufacturing industry, She also called on APEC members to work together to promote sustainable lifestyles with technological innovation and create a better and more inclusive APEC.
The judges at the contest enthusiastically interacted with Ms. Shen and conducted in-depth exchanges on the feasibility perspective of the development for the “Bamboo Forest”, Babo’s actions against global climate issues, and the Babo’s internationalization strategy. After Ms. Shen’s presentation, the participants gave highly appreciates on Babo’s performance on reducing deforestation and carbon emission.
Carolina Cuevas, chairman of the APEC Women’s Economic Policy Partnership Working Group (PPWE), stated in January 2021, “Women should play a more important role on society recovery and reconstruction. The innovation, creativity and resilience shown by the female entrepreneurs and managers participating in the APEC Best Awards are the embodiment of this spirit.”
Ms. Shen also explained her motivation to participate in this APEC contest:
Firstly, she hopes that she can work as an example to promote China’s revitalization of rural areas through sustainable development. With the National Rural Revitalization strategy made by the Chinese government, Babo is actively transforming the “ecological resources” of bamboo forests into “ecological capital”, promoting the rapid development of the bamboo industry, driving the development of surrounding industries, and benefiting the countryside in terms of helping to develop the rural economy and increase farmers’ income.
Secondly, she hopes to promote environmentally friendly lifestyle around the world with unbleached bamboo household paper. Bamboo grows much faster than tree, It takes 10 years for trees to become mature, and only 3 years for bamboo. At the same time, bamboo’s carbon fixation capacity is stronger than that of trees. Taking a 1 hectare bamboo forest as an example, its annual carbon fixation capacity is 5.09 tons, which is 1.46 times that of fir trees and 1.33 times that of tropical rain forests. The widespread use of bamboo fiber household paper will play an important role in global sustainable development.
Thirdly, she hopes to do everything she can to explore and develop the potentials of bamboo fiber. Bamboo is the representative of Chinese people’s excellent spirit. To develop the potentials of bamboo fiber, it requires not only high focus on the product research, but also the innovation spirit, continuously developing excellent products with Chinese features.
Last but not least, she hopes to call on more women to start their careers with their strengths and potentials, as well as the confidence and the charm.
The world is currently facing major changes and uncertainties in this century. To take the road to the future of Asia-Pacific cooperation, we need to face challenges together and strengthen global anti-epidemic cooperation; implement the APEC vision and promote the Asia-Pacific integration; Build the Asia-Pacific community, and keep long-term development together. In front of such opportunities and challenges, Ms. Shen expressed her determination and faith to lead Babo to continue practicing the brand’s business philosophy, maintain the brand spirit “Simple and Sincerity” as before, expand the use of the bamboo with new technology and promote the industry development, improve the women’s benefits, interpret the image of Chinese women with her practical actions, to make more consumers feeling the value of Chinese brand and Chinese culture
Post time: Nov-09-2021