Trends and Results in Private Sector Development: Fertilizer value chain intervention in Nigeria
The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) organised a Seminar on trends and results in private sector development (PSD), in January 2012. It focused on what we are learning about results and in part on the DCED Standard for results measurement. There were around 100 participants from 32 countries, representing 54 different organisations, field programmes […]
Trends and Results in Private Sector Development: Monitoring and Measuring, Bangladesh
The Donor Committee for Enterprise Development (DCED) organised a Seminar on trends and results in private sector development (PSD), in January 2012. It focused on what we are learning about results and in part on the DCED Standard for results measurement. There were around 100 participants from 32 countries, representing 54 different organisations, field programmes […]
Building Business Strategies for Development Impact in Africa
For nearly 100 years, Africa has been a key driver of our business success. Almost 40 per cent of our assets remain in South Africa. Three of our seven main business groups (platinum, iron ore and thermal coal) and two of our key associates (diamonds and manganese) operate out of southern Africa. These are all […]
How Doing Good is Good for Business
Last month, we got to hear from Sir Andrew Witty, CEO of GlaxoSmithKline. The talk was part of the Pears Business Schools Partnership lecture, which promotes sustainable and responsible business through inspiring future leaders. What does one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies have to say about how doing good is good for business? Sir […]
Resources for practitioners: inclusive business models in the energy sector
We are delighted to launch a new series of monthly Editorial Specials, in which we highlight our favourite resources on business and development. As the concept of inclusive business takes root and people move from ideas into action, an increasing number of sector-specific reports on inclusive business models have begun to come out. This month, […]
Financial Exclusion #FirstWorldProblem?
13.5 million people in the UK live in poverty, with over 1 million without access to bank accounts (4% of Britain’s population) and a further 8 million (15%) underbanked – that’s a lot of people who have to find a way to survive in the 6th richest country in the world. Recognising this reality, Women […]
Fashion: A Catalyst for Change
The potential of the private sector to reduce poverty is well recognized; however, this has not been evident in the fashion industry. Fashion is one of the most globalized sectors, providing employment to more than 60 million people, mainly women and unskilled workers from poor economies. And it is expanding. According to Datamonitor, 2010, the […]
Global Entrepreneur Week
Youth Business International (YBI) is a global network helping aspiring entrepreneurs in 34 countries, so helping to promote a culture of entrepreneurship is a full time job for our hundreds of staff. Nevertheless the few months leading up to the end of each year are particularly hectic. In November 2011 we celebrated our International YBI […]
Winning with Purpose
Business has been a powerful force in improving the lives of millions of people on our planet – whether through product and service innovation, job creation or new opportunities for suppliers and distributors. Yet, I believe business can do so much more. As the Occupy movement has highlighted, huge inequalities remain – and companies such […]
World Business and Development Awards 2012
Do you have a successful inclusive business model that is both commercially successful, and is contributing to development? The International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF), the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have just launched a call for nominations for their World Business and Development Awards 2012. The Awards demonstrate […]
International Development – The Role of an Enabling Business
FRSA, Head of Corporate Responsibility, Herbert Smith LLP Global law firm Herbert Smith is currently engaged in a transatlantic experiment, one that is connecting lawyers from our London office with the Government of Sierra Leone. The experiment is designed to answer a question about what professional services firms can do to help developing countries grow […]
Stanford Social Innovation Review Showcases GAIN’s High Impact Approach to Tackling Malnutrition
The Stanford Social Innovation Review, in its article “Challenging Change: Making Collective Impact Work”, has cited GAIN for developing a model of collaboration that achieves large scale progress in the face of the urgent and complex problems of our time. The model is based on partnership across public and private sectors and implies recognition of […]
Ida Horner Meets: Stephen a farmer from Kikube, Uganda
Ugandan entrepreneur, Ida Horner, attended the recent Villages in Action conference in Kikube, Masindi, Uganda, on behalf of Business Fights Poverty, the event’s sponsor. We asked Ida to meet up with some of the business owners in the village to get an insight into their businesses, the challenges they have had to overcome, and the […]
Made in Bangalore: How Social Enterprise is Transforming Business-As-Usual
As someone who grew up in Bangalore, I have seen my city undergo a startling transformation, from the Pensioners Paradise to the Silicon Valley of India. I am almost a pensioner myself now – I started writing this blog on my 60th birthday. Sometimes I feel stupefied and amazed by the changes – but I […]
UK Parliamentary Investigation into The Integration of Smallholder Farmers into Supply Chains: Call for Evidence
Co-ordinator, All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development The All Party Parliamentary Group on Agriculture and Food for Development (APPG) has recently launched a new UK Parliamentary Inquiry examining existing how smallholder producers can sustainably and equitably be integrated into supply chains. The APPG would welcome the views of Business Fights Poverty […]
New research reveals how Africa Tweets
Young people Tweeting from mobile devices are driving the growth of Twitter in Africa, according to How Africa Tweets, new research launched by Portland in Nairobi last week. In the first ever attempt to comprehensively map the use of Twitter in Africa, Portland and Tweetminster analysed over 11.5 million geo-located Tweets originating on the continent […]
The SUN shone at Davos last week
“Davos” – the shorthand moniker for the Annual General Meeting of the World Economic Forum – takes place in what is normally a picturesque but rather sleepy, Swiss Alpine village. Yet, every year in late January, it is overrun by heads-of-state, royalty, rock stars, captains-of-industry and powers-that-be. Choose your term. They’re there. There are plenty […]
IBLF View: Should companies educate consumers on responsible choices?
IBLF View: Should companies educate consumers on responsible choices? from Business Fights Poverty on Vimeo. This content was produced by the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and is reproduced with permission.
IBLF View: What ways of thinking do business leaders need to prioritise now?
IBLF View: What ways of thinking do business leaders need to priori… from Business Fights Poverty on Vimeo. This content was produced by the International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and is reproduced with permission.
Interested In Joining DFID's Graduate Scheme?
Are you a recent graduate? Are you interested in working for the UK’s Department for International Development? Here’s you chance! Today DFID launched its new graduate scheme – a paid, 50 week development programme offering a diverse range of opportunities in areas from humanitarian response to private sector development. Successful candidates will undergo a structured […]