More than Just Microfinance
This is Arlene Montejo, a small-scale farmer from the beautiful yet isolated mountain village of Sudlon II on the outskirts of Cebu City in the Philippines. Arlene, like millions of poor people around the world, relies solely on farming to generate an income and support her family. She grows a variety of vegetables including lettuces, […]
The Gift that Keeps on Giving
Poverty here in Vietnam is hidden away. Tourists flock to the urban centres, to the fancy sights of Ha Long Bay, or up to the remote north to buy handbags sewn together by hill-tribe communities. The injustice of poverty here is not obvious on the surface and, as a visitor, you’d be forgiven for not […]
PPPs: The Business Case
Why should corporations partner with international development organizations? There are many other ways to develop a strong and ethical corporate image: Ways that do not involve the complex and sometimes messy business of working with a completely different type of organization than your own. And we’ve all heard the term ‘only partner if you have […]
How Science Can Inform Business Climate Commitments
Big business can make a big difference to tackle climate change in agriculture, but needs a strong scientific base to guide and monitor investments, says Sonja Vermeulen When the world’s biggest agribusinesses, with collective revenues of over $800 billion, come together to announce their intentions to reduce food emissions by almost a third in the […]
How Do We Get Businesses Working Towards the SDGs
“Let us put aside what divides us and overcome narrow self-interest in favor of working together for the common well-being of humanity.” With those inspiring words, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon kicked off last week’s Addis Ababa conference on Financing for Development. It was the first of a series of major events that could make […]
What Businesses Need to Know About the SDGs
The UN General Assembly held its regular meeting in New York this fall. But this year its purpose was different – and with significant implications for the future of the human condition. More than 190 member countries committed to “eliminate poverty in all its forms everywhere” by 2030, together with 16 other “big, hairy, audacious […]
3 Ways to Make Your Supply Chain More Climate Resilient
Your business sells products that depend on agricultural commodities. You have built a great brand, you have a loyal and expanding customer base and great relationships with your providers. But is your supply chain really sustainable? Can climate change affect your business? Most of the debate and focus in Europe and the US has been […]
Global Goals Could Trigger a Burst of Innovation
Leaders from 193 nations are converging on New York for the U.N. General Assembly. They are expected to adopt the sustainable development goals, which are not short on ambition. Beginning with a goal to “end poverty in all its forms everywhere,” they cover gender equality, food security, peace, health, clean water and sanitation, sustainable cities, […]
Enabling SME Adaptation to Climate Change
Ismail Faisov tends a farm in the mountainous Dashtijum Jamoat region in Tajikistan. Dashtijum Jamoat is rich with indigenous fruits and legumes that have become naturally resilient to drought, cold weather, diseases, and other environmental stresses. For a number of reasons though, Ismail did not cultivate these traditional species, choosing instead to sell imported cultivars […]
The Boon and Bane of Index-Based Weather Insurance
After the enthusiasm on microcredit has somewhat faded over the past few years, the next microfinance revolution in the form of index-based microinsurance is well underway. In this blogpost we will take a closer look at the index-based approach to insurance and highlight some of its advantages as well as some of its challenges. Insuring […]
Innovative Insurance Models for Risk Reducing Behaviour
Source: CCAFS and CGIAR Losses and damages of weather-related disasters are increasing In the face of climate change, BoP communities in many developing countries are becoming increasingly vulnerable to the risks posed by extreme weather and climatic events. Climate change-related impacts affect agricultural productivity, weaken water and food security, increase the incidences of diseases, and […]
Making Smallholder Farmers Climate Proof
Training of smallholder farmers by BASF in India (Credit: BASF) An estimated 1.5 billion people directly depend on agriculture for their income with smallholder farmers responsible for almost 80% of all food consumed in the developing world. Agriculture is the biggest industry sector in the world – and one that is highly sensitive to changing […]
Market of Climate Resilience: Protection & Conservation
Members of the Wansari Fishermen’s Association in Indonesia use enviornmentally friendly bamboo pens for crab cultivation in the mangroves (Credit: Kampoeng Kepiting) The tourism sector grows fast, especially in developing countries Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. In 2012 alone, 1 billion tourists travelled across borders compared to 25 million in 1950. […]
Market of Climate Resilience: Protection & Conservation
Members of the Wansari Fishermen’s Association in Indonesia use enviornmentally friendly bamboo pens for crab cultivation in the mangroves (Credit: Kampoeng Kepiting) The tourism sector grows fast, especially in developing countries Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries worldwide. In 2012 alone, 1 billion tourists travelled across borders compared to 25 million in 1950. […]
Increasing Climate Resilience of BoP Communities
Since Monday, November 30th, 2015, representatives from over 190 countries gather at the 21st United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP 21) with the imposing goal of developing a legally binding and universal agreement on climate to succeed the Kyoto Protocol. While the agreement to limiting the global temperature increase to less than 2°C […]
The Cross Section of Climate and Food Security
As the U.N. climate talks are underway in Paris, the global spotlight is on how business can offer solutions for addressing climate change. With this in mind, the fertilizer industry is strongly committed to continue reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. Fertilizer related GHG emissions can be substantially mitigated as a result of enhancing crop intensity […]
Bringing Smallholders into The Global Market
Investing in smallholders has the most immediate impact on poverty reduction and employment in Africa, but how can larger businesses bring smallholder development into their business models? Smallholder farmers produce the majority of Africa’s food, and the sector as a whole is responsible for the greatest number of jobs in the continent by far. At […]
Leveraging Supply Chains to Deliver Sustainable Development
Consumer goods companies are increasingly looking to leverage their supply chains to deliver broad-based, sustainable development in emerging markets. Pier Luigi Sigismondi has a straightforward explanation for why his company is focusing on sustainability throughout its operations and its supply chains. “It’s about doing the right thing by our planet and our people because you […]
Unlocking Social Impact with the Power of Creativity
Q&A with Tamara Christensen, Design Thinking Expert The Social Innovation Summit convenes leading thinkers and doers in the social impact space. Their last convening took place on November 18th and 19th in Silicon Valley, California. We stopped Tamara Christensen at a recent event to ask her how she helps brands, businesses and nonprofits get creative […]
Increasing Financial Inclusion in the Garment Industry
Today, BSR and theBill & Melinda Gates Foundationare announcing a new strategic partnership to increase financial inclusion for low-income women and men working in the garment industry in Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. Through this partnership, BSR will help garment factories in these countries transition from cash-based payroll or traditional direct deposit to mobile wallet accounts, […]