DFID's MDG Conference: Scratching The Surface Of Business Engagement
Speaking at DFID’s MDG Conference this week, Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, highlighted the importance of business in meeting the MDGs. However, she said we were still only “scratching the surface” of what is possible. She highlighted the need to promote inclusive business models […]
DFID’s MDG Conference: Scratching The Surface Of Business Engagement
Speaking at DFID’s MDG Conference this week, Helen Clark, head of the United Nations Development Programme and former Prime Minister of New Zealand, highlighted the importance of business in meeting the MDGs. However, she said we were still only “scratching the surface” of what is possible. She highlighted the need to promote inclusive business models […]
Inclusive Business: Moving from the why to the how – today's launch of the Business Innovation Facility
It is striking how far we have come. Only a few years ago, it seemed that many of us, represented in this network, were spending large amounts of our professional energy convincing donor agencies of business’ role in meeting international development challenges. Looking back now, three major trends stand out. First, there is a widespread, […]
Inclusive Business: Moving from the why to the how – today’s launch of the Business Innovation Facility
It is striking how far we have come. Only a few years ago, it seemed that many of us, represented in this network, were spending large amounts of our professional energy convincing donor agencies of business’ role in meeting international development challenges. Looking back now, three major trends stand out. First, there is a widespread, […]
Business Innovation to Fight Climate Change and Poverty: Resource List
This resource list was prepared for the event “Business Innovation to Fight Climate Change and Poverty” by the Overseas Development Institute. Recent publications Briefing Paper on “Business Innovation to Fight Climate Change and Poverty”, produced by the Growing Inclusive Markets initiative of the UNDP. Climate Change and Global Poverty: A Billion Lives in the Balance?,the […]
Fighting climate change and poverty: business must be the driver of innovation
Today, Blog Action Day (www.blogactionday.org), is focused on the climate change crisis. This is a crisis that is integrally connected with the focus of this practitioner community – fighting poverty through business. As Nick Stern, who led the Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change, argued recently, “There are two big challenges for this […]
Harnessing the power of business for development impact: towards the fourth generation
By Simon Maxwell, Senior Research Associate, Overseas Development Institute, and Chair of the 2009 Event Series, “Harnessing the Power of Business for Development Impact”. Here Simon shares his reflections on the Series. The Series was organised by the ODI, the UK Department for International Development, and Business Action for Africa. The final event in the […]
Women entrepreneurs in the fight against poverty
The UK’s Department for International Development’s Africa Division has just launched its “Gender Equality Action Plan“, in which it says “DFID has long recognised that poverty will not come to an end until women have equal rights with men, and that promoting gender equality is an essential part of poverty reduction across the developing world”. […]
A "Good for Development" Company Mark: A Good Idea?
The Overseas Development Institute has proposed a new “Good for Development” (GfD) Mark that recognises companies that are delivering development gains through their core business: creating jobs, bringing investment capital, training workers, using local suppliers and fostering small and medium enterprises. The idea is summarised here, and elaborated here (including the indicators upon which the […]
A “Good for Development” Company Mark: A Good Idea?
The Overseas Development Institute has proposed a new “Good for Development” (GfD) Mark that recognises companies that are delivering development gains through their core business: creating jobs, bringing investment capital, training workers, using local suppliers and fostering small and medium enterprises. The idea is summarised here, and elaborated here (including the indicators upon which the […]
Trade not Aid: How tourism is fighting poverty in Latin America
The latest episode in BBC World’s “The Other America” explores Latin America’s development, and the role that tourism can play in tackling poverty. Various examples are given of “inclusive business” that engage poor people in companies’ value chains. For more information, read this blog by Inclusive Business, an initiative of the SNV Netherlands Development Organization […]
World's Poor To Be Helped By 'Txt Msg' Technology
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID): Mobile phones, text messages and fingerprint recognition could soon bring “branchless banking” to millions of the world’s poorest people to help lift them out of poverty, International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander said today. At an event today, Mr Alexander announced a £1.4 million UK-led three-year project […]
World’s Poor To Be Helped By ‘Txt Msg’ Technology
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (DFID): Mobile phones, text messages and fingerprint recognition could soon bring “branchless banking” to millions of the world’s poorest people to help lift them out of poverty, International Development Secretary, Douglas Alexander said today. At an event today, Mr Alexander announced a £1.4 million UK-led three-year project […]
Fighting poverty by empowering women
It is widely recognised in the development community that it is women who suffer most the burden of poverty, and that it is women who offer the best route out poverty. Grameen, perhaps the best-known advocate and pioneer, uses micro loans, financial services and technology, to help the poor, mostly women, to start self-sustaining businesses […]
Guy Sebban, Secretary General International Chamber of Commerce: Business plays a key role in achieving the Millennium Development Goals
This year marks the midpoint in one of the most ambitious poverty-elimination efforts ever undertaken – the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG). In this pivotal year, when the objectives are being reassessed and strategies retooled to achieve these objectives, the biennial World Business and Development Awards (WBDA) in support of the goals, to be unveiled […]
Driving poor people’s access to markets through new technology
Today marks a big step in tapping the true power of business and new technology to lift people out of poverty. WorldofGood.com by eBay is a brand new marketplace that enables small-scale entrepreneurs from across the developing world to sell their products online. This is an important step into the world of “Development 2.0” – […]
Business-NGO Partnerships under the spotlight
E-BULLETIN FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LEADERS FORUM The global context of the 21st century presents new development challenges, to which single sector solutions have proven an inadequate response. Cross-sector solutions – whether to economic, social, cultural or environmental challenges – involve organisations from all sectors systematically collaborating with non-traditional partners to share risks, costs and […]
Shell Foundation and Marks & Spencer: Scalable Business Models for Fair Trade Supply Chains
A new report was launched today that tells the story of the Shell Foundation – Marks & Spencer Partnership and concludes that in order to bridge the gap between major retailers and developing world producers a new kind of business is required, called an ‘ethical agent’. The report is also featured in a two page […]
Shell Foundation and Marks & Spencer: Scalable Business Models for Fair Trade Supply Chains
A new report was launched today that tells the story of the Shell Foundation – Marks & Spencer Partnership and concludes that in order to bridge the gap between major retailers and developing world producers a new kind of business is required, called an ‘ethical agent’. The report is also featured in a two page […]
Business and Poverty: Opening Markets to the Poor
FROM THE WORLD BANK INSTITUTE: How can the private sector help transform the lives of the poor? Can poor producers and consumers in turn transform business models and shape new opportunities for companies? These are two of the key questions addressed in the forthcoming issue of the World Bank’s flagship publication Development Outreach, which examines […]