Radical Collaboration – 10 years later
How a Multi-stakeholder Meeting Lead to the Creation and Success of the Diamond Development Initiative As we look forward to a dynamic and successful 2015, we are also looking back – ten years back, to the original conception of the Diamond Development Initiative . Rich Man, Poor Man The idea of DDI took shape in […]
What Drives Companies to Invest in Inclusive Business?
This month’s Editor’s Choice explores companies’ own perspectives on Sustainable and Inclusive Business. It’s a rare glimpse probing inside the company structures and lingo, to see what drives and what impedes company engagement. Growth for Good or Good for Growth is a new report by Monitor Institute, Citi Foundation and The Fletcher School at Tufts […]
The Future of Africa is Agribusiness
AECF Since the global economic crisis of 2008 a number of interesting trends have been going on. Economic growth rates globally, and in key parts of the global economy like Europe, and recently, even China have fallen. The recent slowdown has hit the prices of key commodities like oil, and precious metals. But not those […]
Tracking Reach at the Base of the Pyramid
By Lara Sinha, Hub Manager, The Practitioner Hub for Inclusive Business Changing lives for people at the Base of the Pyramid (BoP): easy to say, tough to deliver, and very tough to define and measure. Although nearly all inclusive businesses and social investors aim to benefit clients at the BoP, there is huge diversity in […]
Unilever Global Development Award
Enabling Local Entrepreneurs to Offer Energy Access
While the work of companies led by experts may be crucial to prove new solutions, we believe that in order to provide access to basic services at scale, the world needs viable business models that encourage local and national entrepreneurs to meet the needs of their neighbors. Lumeter Networks’ mission is to overcome the barriers […]
How Can We End Malnutrition?
Here is a business proposition: invest $1 today and reap $16 in benefits, saving millions of lives at the same time. Yes, this 1,500% payback is possible – according to theGlobal Nutrition Report 2014 – and represents a return on investment that has comfortably outperformed the US stock market over the past 80 years, while […]
Passion Fruit and a New Approach to Agriculture
Eight Steps to the Four A's of Food Security
The potential of African agriculture is undoubtedly bright, but it will take more than just encouraging investment from large scale agri-players – of which Olam is one – into the continent. Food security depends on the four As – the essential combination of availability (is there enough), accessibility (in the right place), affordability (for the […]
Eight Steps to the Four A’s of Food Security
The potential of African agriculture is undoubtedly bright, but it will take more than just encouraging investment from large scale agri-players – of which Olam is one – into the continent. Food security depends on the four As – the essential combination of availability (is there enough), accessibility (in the right place), affordability (for the […]
No Strings, Big Risks and Even Bigger Rewards
We are taught at school if at first you don’t succeed, then try, try and try again, yet how many charities put this mantra into practice? Too many charities avoid risk and rarely admit failure, especially to their donors, which prevents them from learning from mistakes or revising their strategies. Yet charities have such huge […]
Three Ways Businesses Can Boost Sustainable Development
What does a procurement manager in Managua have to do with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)? Or a Kenyan farmer’s mobile-phone plan with the World Economic Forum’s development discussions? When it comes to long-term development solutions – well, everything. Given the increasing involvement of the private sector in developing countries, ordinary aspects of doing business […]
How We Can Help Smallholders Feed the World
The world’s population is expected to number more than 9 billion people by 2050, and to feed them agriculture will have to grow by 60%. It’s an expansion that can only be fuelled by investment – to the tune of $83 billion. Growth generated by agriculture is up to four times more effective at reducing […]
Bootcamp on marketing and distribution
Strengthening Public Extension Service Delivery to Farmers in Bangladesh
Mahmud Zaman explains how the LAN project aims to increase farm productivity and efficiency. A recent case study published by Katalyst, Improving Public Agricultural Extension Services in Bangladesh Using the M4P Approach, has attracted interest from a wide range of readers and the BEAM Exchange has organised a webinar to discuss the topics and share […]
Living Wage Comes of Age?
January in the UK is a time of New Year’s resolutions, traditionally with commitments to new goals, or renewed attempts to meet some old ones. The trick is to stick with your plans and implement them – not run out of steam half way through February. I’m curious to see if this is the year […]
The World Needs A Pay Rise
Oxfam recently issued a guide for businesses on implementing living wages throughout their global supply chains, and it puts collective bargaining and trade unions centre stage. The paper is full of voluntary steps that businesses could take to ensure workers in their supply chains are paid a living wage, whether direct employees or not. And […]
Why Companies Fail to Pay a Living Wage
With companies seeking to maximise profits to meet investors’ expectations, workers in the supply chain lose out and remain trapped in poverty. Erinch Sahan looks at why workers continue to earn poverty wages around the world and argues that companies need to be given the freedom to forgo profits for the greater good of shared […]
Are You Paying A Living Wage? 4 Ways To Check
There is no single, universal way to calculate a living wage. It is contextual with a wide range of influencing factors leading to significant variation on national and regional levels. Here, Paulien Osse explains how companies can find the details they need to provide a living wage. A living wage is a moral imperative; it […]
Who’s Responsible For Paying Living Wages?
Workers all over the world who make the things that we eat, wear and use are often paid so little that they have to work exhaustingly long hours, have several jobs, put their children to work or get into debt that they can never be free of. When people learn this, the cry goes up, […]