In Defence of Fair Trade
The School of African and Asian Studies – SOAS – has just produced a coruscating critique of fair trade. The research report is based on field work among wage workers on coffee and flower farms in Ethiopia and Uganda. It finds ‘unambiguously’ that Fairtrade has made no positive difference to wage workers. It finds that […]
Working For The Common Good
Fairtrade’s new Workers’ Rights Strategy has thus far focused on increasing the benefits of Fairtrade for workers on large commercial farms. However, we also recognise that many small producer organizations and their members also employ waged workers and that the number of such workers is increasing as a result of the growth of Fairtrade and […]
Announcing the 2014 Design Expo Schedule
We are one week away from the start of the 2014 Design Expo! Running from 9 to 13 June, the Design Expo is an online celebration of products, services and business models transforming the lives of poor people. The Design Expo is a collaboration with iDE UK and is being supported by the UK’s Department […]
A 'Coopetitive' Business Model For Financial Inclusion
“Same: Same, but different” – We have all seen this printed on t-shirts across the world. It is a similar story here in Nepal with the shared access mobile financial services platform “Hello Paisa” – that is now beginning to scale up. The Hello Paisa platform is currently live with 8 partner banks – and […]
A ‘Coopetitive’ Business Model For Financial Inclusion
“Same: Same, but different” – We have all seen this printed on t-shirts across the world. It is a similar story here in Nepal with the shared access mobile financial services platform “Hello Paisa” – that is now beginning to scale up. The Hello Paisa platform is currently live with 8 partner banks – and […]
Three Ways to Bridge the Employability Gap
What are the skills needed for employability in the 21st century economy? And what innovative models are needed to deliver these skills to students? In early 2012, Results for Development Institute (R4D) embarked on a research study that examined the skills needed for employment in Africa and Asia. This two year project, funded by the […]
Linking Socio-Economic Impact and Business Strategy
Hanging By A Thread: Workers’ Rights And Lives
Campaigning On Workers’ Rights In One Sector Can Bring Important Gains – But In Doing So, We Must Not Ignore The Needs Of Vulnerable Workers In Other Sectors I was working in my room on the fourth floor of a hotel in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s busy capital, when I saw a man hanging by a rope. […]
How Can We Strengthen Food Security In South-East Asia?
This week at the World Economic Forum on East Asia, held in the Philippines, the region’s governments and senior leaders will explore ways to accelerate sustainable agricultural growth and achieve food security through market-based multistakeholder initiatives Home to 600 million people, South-East Asia has enjoyed vibrant and fast-paced growth. The member states of the Association […]
Profit Follows Purpose
“There is considerable potential for business and social impact goals to align.” That sentiment was heard repeatedly at the 2nd TA Initiative Summit, held May 5-7 in Nairobi, Kenya. Organized by Acumen, the 3-day event brought together intrapreneurs from global corporations and social entrepreneurs from throughout East and West Africa to explore the potential for […]
Haiti: Leading in the Production of Quality Apparel
Three high-level business leaders just did what others might think is too risky and counterintuitive. Joey Adler, the CEO of Diesel Canada and founder of the OnexOne Foundation; Richard Coles, the owner of Multiwear, one of Haiti’s leading apparel manufacturers; and Rob Broggi, a former hedge fund executive, created a company to demonstrate that Haiti […]
Announcing the Business Fights Poverty Design Expo 2014
A creative revolution is underway around the design of products and services that transform the lives of poor people. But perhaps the most exciting activity is around combining design innovation with business model innovation, so that social impact can be achieved on a massive scale. With 1.4 billion people living in extreme poverty, it is […]
Banking on Africa: Social and Economic Impact
All eyes are on Africa. Over the past decade, the continent has consistently grown faster than the world as a whole. And unlike previous resource-driven booms, this time Africa’s success is built on foundations that should be sustainable for the long term. A new and confident African middle class is emerging, and trade is expanding […]
How Haiti is Becoming a Leader in the Production of Quality Apparel
Three high-level business leaders just did what others might think is too risky and counterintuitive. Joey Adler, the CEO of Diesel Canada and founder of the OnexOne Foundation; Richard Coles, the owner of Multiwear, one of Haiti’s leading apparel manufacturers; and Rob Broggi, a former hedge fund executive, created a company to demonstrate that Haiti […]
MNCs and Social Enterprises: Learning from Each Other?
As investors in businesses that are impacting lives, we at Acumen see the potential for business to make a difference, but we also know that taking this impact to scale will require creative new partnerships. At a Summit in Nairobi last May, we and our partner Dow Chemical launched the Technical Assistance (TA) Initiative – […]
Everything You Wanted to Know About Inclusive Business
The eLab provides an introduction to managers who are tasked and set to create business with low-income communities. It is designed in a way that fits every managers schedule, while providing the most important insights every IB manager should be aware of. Let’s review these two propositions! Insights The eLab consists of 6 modules. Each […]
Solving the World’s Water Issues
Silo Busting: 4 ways to do good business
Role of business in shaping a better tomorrow Solutions to the world’s most pressing problems and exciting opportunities are global, interconnected and interdependent. Business’ resources dwarf those of the philanthropic and public sectors combined. All require leaders with vision and capacity to build systems for change across industries and borders. Yet alone, now and in […]
Real Change: How Mobile Tech is Transforming Africa
For years analysts have said that “Africa is Rising,” but now it’s really happening. With an expanding population and steady economic growth, social enterprise in Africa is today seeing real returns on investment. This “double-bottom line” success — financial plus humanitarian gains — is drawing new attention to Africa to not only advance, but also […]
A Networked Approach to International Development
The ever increasing – and much delayed – focus on impact measurement in international development is leading to some hard questions about how best the industry needs to be shaped. We all know that international development needs to become more responsive to local needs, less dependent on large head offices and in short, more effective. […]