A Fair Hearing for Fairtrade
Passions are running high among the defenders and detractors of Fairtrade. Sparked by a recent report by the right-wing economic think tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a long-running debate has be reignited (see the article by Simon Bowers on this site). A couple of years ago, the same thing happened when another right-wing […]
IBLF – Expert Insight: Jan Dauman, CEO of InterMatrix
Andy Wales: Big Business, Big Responsibilities: from ‘villains’ to ‘visionaries’
Big Business, Big Responsibilities: from ‘villains’ to ‘visionaries’ charts the journey that many major companies have been on over the last twenty years, where issues that were previously defined as corporate social responsibility (CSR), philanthropy or environmental compliance are now becoming core to future growth strategies. We welcome your comments and thoughts in the debate […]
LifeSpring Hospital Chain Joins the Business Call to Action with Commitment to Fight Maternal Mortality
Indian Hospital Chain to Fight Maternal Mortality LifeSpring Hospitals to provide 82,000 women with affordable healthcare through Business Call to Action initiative April 7, 2010 Hyderabad, India ― The Business Call to Action (BCtA) today announced that LifeSpring Hospitals ― a chain of small hospitals providing low-income clients in India with access to maternal and […]
Responsible and Accountable Garments Sector (RAGS) Challenge Fund – First Call for Project Concepts
The Responsible and Accountable Garments Sector (RAGS) Challenge Fund is now operational and is formally calling for Project Concepts. Visit the website for more information. The deadline for applications 26 April 2010. Funded by UKaid for the UK Department for International Development (DFID), RAGS has been set up to drive better working conditions for women […]
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, […]
Framework: Practical action in inclusive business
2010 – The collection of useful tools produced in this framework builds on IBLF’s previous report “Business of Jobs” which focused on how companies can develop employability and enterprise through partnership. They have proven to be valuable resources for businesses exploring inclusive business opportunities.
Inclusive Business Guide
2010 – The Inclusive Business Guide looks at how companies can improve the livelihoods and wellbeing of poor people by including them on the supply side – as producers, employees and distributors; and on the demand side as clients and customers.
Business Linkages: Enabling Access to Markets at the Base of the Pyramid
Dec 09 – This is a summary of the key findings from the fourth event in the Business Linkages Series, a joint initiative between IBLF, IFC and the CSR Initiative at Harvard’s Kennedy School.
Ernest Kwasi Kyei, Co-Founder / Director of Toyola Energy
Ernest Kwasi Kyei, Co-Founder / Director of Toyola Energy from Business Fights Poverty on Vimeo. Recorded at an event in London on 2 December 2009, “Business Innovation to Fight Climate Change and Poverty”
Developing Inclusive Business Models in Ethiopia and Tanzania
Coca-Cola’s Manual Distribution Centers – or MDCs – are a major factor in our success in East Africa. Since they were first set up a decade ago, these small independently owned businesses now deliver over 80% of our drinks in the region, largely by push carts, to small-scale retailers who need regular but limited supplies. […]
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 […]
Impact, implementation, innovation and the business case: a lively agenda for 2009
Inclusive business, responsible business, corporate engagement, harnessing core competencies … call it what we will, there is a great deal to discuss beyond our terminology. Through this new ODI DFID BAA Meeting Series we need to celebrate the emerging diversity of business models that combine high commercial and development value, and look hard at issues […]
Supporting Entrepreneurship at the Base of the Pyramid through Business Linkages
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 […]
Crossing the Atlantic: American vs European Approaches to the Role of Business
Having spent my career in the UK, I have been carried along with the current of change in how British businesses see their role in development, and how the UK aid agency, DFID, sees the role of business. From business’ perspective, the action has moved well beyond philanthropy. The focus now is on how businesses […]
Growth, The Private Sector And The Path To Ending Poverty
Douglas Alexander, Secretary of State for International Development, set a fresh, bold direction for the UK’s aid agency, the Department for International Development, on Monday. In a speech at an event co-hosted by Business Action for Africa and the Overseas Development Institute, he pointed out that economic growth has accounted for 80% of poverty reduction […]