Why Does Healthcare Need ‘Intrapreneurs’?
When most of us think about entrepreneurs, a certain image springs to mind. It is of an individual pursuing their big idea outside of the confines of a large business; of an intrepid individual heading into the ‘Dragon’s Den’ or making their fortune in Silicon Valley. But, that kind of disruptive innovation is not limited […]
Why Cheap Bananas Threaten Farmers Futures
To mark Fairtrade Fortnight and the Make Bananas Fair campaign. Michael Gidney, CEO of the Fairtrade Foundation, explains why we need to make sure all bananas are sourced fairly and ethically in the UK. I have just come back from visiting banana producers in Colombia. Along the humid tropical coast bananas seem to be everywhere […]
Investments to End Poverty
Economic Inclusion – Accelerating Impact Collectively
Social Entrepreneurs with proven models for including low-income populations convene to refine their impact scaling strategies and collectively overcome ecosystem barriers. Great business ideas go global to serve customers around the world. Great social innovations, however, too often remain local or national because market forces do not work as efficiently in low-income markets. Although many […]
A Call for More and Better Data
The debate is no longer is about whether the private sector has a role to play in ending poverty but how. Over the course of this week, we have explored where business can do more to end poverty. What we haven’t discussed in detail up until now is how the private sector can achieve this. […]
Bridging the Gap for African Women in Business
As we get closer to the 2015 deadline, the debate about the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is no longer about whether the goals will be met but instead what will replace them. The debates about what the new development agenda should look like have generated wide-ranging opinions and a corpus of literature has been produced […]
How Do We Achieve Pro-Poor Economic Development?
Sarah Montgomery, Economic Justice Analyst, CAFOD The focus of economic development within DFID and other donors internationally is potentially very exciting, and undoubtedly, as the International Development Committee point out, the changing geography of poverty is an important factor affecting the future role and provision of aid. This shift however, does not come without risks. […]
Collaboration to Maximise Impact on Poverty Reduction
At a recent meeting in Paris, a German government representative took us through their approach to blending public money with private investment and development finance institutions (DFIs). Germany recently spent €40,000 of official development assistance (ODA) to leverage €300,000 of private sector funding to scale-up water and sanitation programmes. The investment reached 9.5 million people, […]
DFID’s Increased Focus on Economic Development
DFID’s shift towards a stronger focus on economic development is a top priority for the UK Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening. Last month, she delivered a speech at the London Stock Exchange where she gives the rationale for ramping up our work in this area. A new strategic framework – “Economic development […]
How Can Donors Help Mobilise Investment?
The Investments to End Poverty report revealed dramatic change in the global financial landscape. It underlines the need to get beyond the sterile argument about whether developing countries need aid or private investment to promote prosperity and end poverty by 2030. The clear answer is both. A mix of resources is necessary to meet the […]
Effective MSME Strategy in Malawi
Micro Small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) play an important role in the economy of many developing economies and Malawi is no exception. Evidence[1] shows small and medium enterprises make up about 1.7 million people, equivalent to 38% of Malawi’s total working age population. Women make up 46% of these employment figures – up 4% from […]
Do Small, Local Businesses Fit into DFID’s Increased Focus on Economic Development?
International Investments in Emerging Economies
Yesterday we saw that private investment is becoming increasingly important for many developing countries. Today we focus on two questions: What role do foreign investors play in different developing countries? And how can we maximise their contributions towards getting poverty to zero? Most foreign investment in developing countries is either in the largest and most […]
The Critical Role of the Private Sector in Ending Poverty
There is growing consensus about the vital role that the private sector does, can and should play in development and ending poverty. The idea of sustainable business – going beyond social responsibility to strike a different balance between the goals of profit and social return – has been a new source of energy in the […]
Small Business Fights Poverty?
There is very little argument these days about whether businesses are critical in development processes. Not surprising when you consider that their combined activity eclipses both aid and government spending. But there seems to be less consensus on what approaches with business will achieve poverty outcomes. How should we shape policy and practice to ensure […]
Impact Investments to End Poverty
All resources flowing to developing countries – domestic and international, public, private and commercial – can be used for ending poverty: aid is not the only resource that can be used. Some will deliver immediate returns; other investments will deliver longer-term impact. They will each have advantages for different objectives and in different contexts. The […]
Social and Business Co-Creation
In a world defined by rapid change, the search for solutions to societal and environmental challenges has become more complex. While market systems have become interconnected and supply chains have become supply webs, public policy and industry norms are not changing as fast. As a result, they are increasingly inadequate tools to govern our societies. […]
Travelling to Meet Changemakers
It was an inspiring and very humbling experience for me to visit social entrepreneurs, to see their work with my own eyes and to learn from their struggles and successes. It was in 2012, when I participated in a tour of Journeys for Change in India, that I realized that watching videos and reading about […]
Uniting David & Goliath to Accelerate Agri-Development
Having worked across public, private and non-profit sectors in agricultural development for over 25 years, I have seen first-hand the benefits of successfully engaging with small-scale farmers in emerging economies. There is a clear link between the development of a viable agricultural sector, inclusive economic growth and food security in emerging markets. Research by Imperial […]
Uniting David & Goliath to Accelerate Agri-Development
Having worked across public, private and non-profit sectors in agricultural development for over 25 years, I have seen first-hand the benefits of successfully engaging with small-scale farmers in emerging economies. There is a clear link between the development of a viable agricultural sector, inclusive economic growth and food security in emerging markets. Research by Imperial […]