Re-Imagining the Gender Balance for Female Cotton Farmers
Recently, I put myself in the shoes of a woman cotton farmer in Ivory Coast. I realised very quickly that there aren’t very many of these shoes to fill; the reason being that very few women and men recognise women as cash crop farmers. Cotton farming is one of the main sources of income for […]
Factories Paying Workers Digitally are Five Times More Likely to Provide Good Social and Labor Practices
Like millions of women working in garment factories in Asia, Lucky worried about receiving her monthly salary in cash. “I was concerned about walking out of the factory with that much money in my bag,” she said. “I also share my house with other people, so I didn’t know where to keep my money safe.” […]
How Can We Produce Enough Protein to Feed 10 Billion People?
Accessible, affordable, healthy and sustainable protein is critical to human nutrition and economic development. Yet academic analysis shows it will be impossible for a global population of 10 billion – a figure expected around 2050 – to consume the amount and type of protein typical of current diets in North America and Europe if we want to […]
Businesses Gain by Taking Steps in the Workplace to Tackle Domestic Violence
There is a paradox in the term “domestic violence.” It suggests that what happens at home, stays at home. But it doesn’t, especially in places like the Pacific Islands, where two out of every three women are affected by violence. In the Solomon Islands, a recent survey showed that the toll of domestic violence extends […]
Food System Failures in Our Age of Abundance
Twelve-year-old Lena is growing up poor and malnourished on Chicago’s West Side. She buys Blue Juice and Hot Chips from the corner store on her way to school. She and her classmates can afford the flavoured sugar water and salty starch, but this cheap “food” that fills up her stomach provides no nutritional value. Lena […]
The ‘Purpose Paradigm’: Solution or Scam?
In his recent interview at the BSR Conference 2018, Anand Giridharadas, author of “Winners Take All,” questioned the ability of sustainability professionals to change the world. “The kind of do-gooding, philanthropy, CSR, impact investing, social enterprise…that are essentially within a market frame”, he argued, “are intrinsically limited because..they are about changing the world in ways […]
Business Fights Poverty Oxford 2019: Embedding Purpose into Business
As my colleague, Zahid, discusses in his recent article, there is a clear and deepening frustration amongst some with the rhetoric of “purpose”. For those of us who believe in the power of business to do good, this is an opportunity for some honest self-reflection. The key is “authenticity”; the recognition we need to move […]
Multinationals Must Step up Game to Attract Top Business Students
Millennials at leading Swiss business schools say it will take more than a good salary to recruit and retain them. They want jobs with purpose, flexibility, and above all, the opportunity for impact. There has been a lot of talk about how millennials (people born between 1983 and 1994) and Gen Zs (born between 1995 […]
‘Total Stakeholder Value’: Is This a New Purpose that Can Drive Necessary, Systemic Change?
‘Total Stakeholder Value’: is this a new purpose that can drive necessary, systemic change? A new book, The Mature Corporation – a Model of Responsible Capitalism explains how Back in 2011, I wrote a piece for the Guardian, and argued that the sustainability agenda had largely ignored people; the human systems that are fundamental to […]
Top Stories of 2018
It’s been another busy year at Business Fights Poverty, including with the launch of 6 new reports on Education for Sustainable Development, Transformative Partnerships, Intrapreneur Ecosystems, Refugee-Inclusive Business, Advocacy Partnerships, and Low-Cost Education – all co-created through our Challenge-based approach to collaboration. Thank you to all our members and Content Partners who participated in these Challenges, and also to all […]
How can we build the skills and knowledge that are vital to achieving sustainable development?
Education is at the heart of human progress and central to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It enables people to build better lives for themselves and their families. It is also fundamental in equipping businesses and society to tackle social and environmental challenges. If sustainable development is important, so are the skills and knowledge […]
Most Millennials Will Only Work For Purpose-Driven Firms
The most attractive companies to today’s talent are driven by purpose, according to London Business School (LBS) experts. “Maybe we will stop talking about purpose in 10 years’ time because it will just be ingrained in any organisation as a taken-for-granted – that any company that wants to be successful must pursue purpose,” said Alex […]
How to Mobilise Finance for Corporate Social Impact? Involve your CFO!
At the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), we work every day with our member companies who are pushing the boundaries of business as usual to create positive social impact. Their social impact strategies are not seen as a ‘nice-to-have’ – they are about making the core business work better for employees, society and, […]
Predicting Displacement: Using Predictive Analytics to Build a Better Future for Displaced Children
A record-breaking 68.5 million individuals worldwide have been displaced from their homes as a result of persecution, conflict, or violence. Over 50% are children. When a displacement crisis occurs, aid agencies are equipped to mobilise massive resources in a very short period of time, but the response is often reactive. With the rise in predictive […]
Strategic Leadership Education for Inclusive Finance: A Discussion with Professors from the Harvard Business School
Founding Professors Discuss Executive Education Program in Inclusive Finance The HBS-Accion Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Finance Program is “right at the center of gravity of our mission.” The HBS-Accion Program on Strategic Leadership in Inclusive Finance is a Harvard Business School Executive Education program developed with Center for Financial Inclusion. The program is led by faculty co-chairs Kash […]
Beyond Certification: The Systemic Impacts of Sustainability Standards
In recent years, understanding of the impacts of sustainability standards has been increasing. ISEAL members have invested significantly in monitoring and evaluation systems, and various organisations have commissioned research into the impacts of standards and certification. A growing body of evidence points to the positive changes that can occur when farms, forests, fisheries and other […]
International Retail Therapy Creates New Jobs
“Bpeace is aiming to prevent poverty and violence and that is what I’m trying to do, too.” Martha Estrada knew she had a solid business, but she needed advice. Enter Nat Love, an experienced retail executive from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who was looking for a meaningful mentorship experience. He was introduced to Bpeace through his […]
Are you a Small Business Working in Frontier Markets? An Opportunity to Showcase your Approach and Influence How You Get Support
Invitation to share your experiences: We invite you to share your experiences of barriers and drivers of doing business in frontier markets and to help shape how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are better supported by the UK Government and other organisations in doing their international business. By filling in our online survey, you will […]
Towards Solving the SDG’s Funding Gap: UNEP FI’s Positive Impact Initiative
UNEP FI’s Positive Impact Initiative proposes a new approach: social, economic and environmental impacts have an as-yet under explored potential to generate financial revenues: impact-based business models can be developed, with the delivery of positive impacts as a driver of sustainable business growth and long-term enterprise value. This could be game-changing: by making it cheaper […]
Is Technology a Game-Changer for Human Rights in Corporate Value Chains?
Since the launch of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGP) in 2011, companies’ attention has been directed towards a series of developments supporting business action to address human rights issues. Earlier this year, we highlighted how legal regulations and benchmarking are increasing the pressure on companies to disclose human rights-related information and subsequently […]