Leveraging Sanitary Hygiene

While you might not see the direct correlation between how toilets can improve food, education and overall quality of life, social entrepreneur Joe Madiath shares several ways it can happen simply by investing in higher quality models. According to Madiath, investing in higher quality toilets in various impoverished regions will drastically improve the country's health, government and educational sectors.

Madiath begins his keynote by explaining how his business, entitled Gram Vikas, works to outsource renewable energy in various rural areas and villages. One way to do this is through sanitation and repurposing the waste into a reusable source. For example, installing better quality toilets in India could lead the waste to be used as nutrients for surrounding banana and papaya trees -- an increased food source. In addition, it would also open up a source for an elevated water reservoir which would eliminate harmful drinking water. This is vital because, according to Madiath, "For India and such developing countries, armies and armaments, software companies and spaceships may not be as important as taps and toilets."