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 […]
What No Cash? Does Technical Assistance to Inclusive Business Really Help?
‘What no cash?’ is what some businesses thought on first sight, responding to the offer of technical assistance from the Business Innovation Facility, funded by DFID. ‘Technical assistance can help inclusive businesses to develop faster and/or build more robust business models.’ That was one of the assumptions on which the programme was based, and is […]
Climate Change: Fact-Checking Food Production
A recent report that astronomers have identified billions of planets with the potential to possess earth-like environments has sparked new interest in the interstellar search for alien worlds. But climate scientists might suggest that if it’s alien environments you’re after, you might one day find what you’re looking for right here on earth. That’s because […]
Should DFID Promote British Business Overseas?
Justine Greening’s speech at the London Stock Exchange on Monday highlights the growing emphasis on how business contributes to economic growth, and on how growth is the way out of absolute poverty. There are two interrelated objectives here: reduce poverty in developing countries through economic growth (i.e. by creating new jobs and raising incomes) and […]
Is Technical Assistance Helpful to Inclusive Business?
‘What no cash?’ is what some businesses thought on first sight, responding to the offer of technical assistance from the Business Innovation Facility, funded by DFID. ‘Technical assistance can help inclusive businesses to develop faster and/or build more robust business models.’ That was one of the assumptions on which the programme was based, and is […]
From Inception to Scale
The journey from inception to scale in inclusive business takes around a decade. And the journey is not just a bumpy ride, but a zigzag route. These are two conclusions drawn from the experience so far of around 40 businesses that received technical support from the Business Innovation Facility between 2010 and 2013. Most of […]
Can Business Help Combat Hunger and Malnutrition?
Has the past month seen real green shoots around engaging the private sector in the struggle to end malnutrition in the world? Perhaps. The World Economic Forum meeting in Davos was a step change with business and political leaders signing up to the UN Secretary General’s “Zero Hunger” challenge to eliminate hunger in our lifetimes. […]
Business Models Engaging BoP Consumers & Producers
Success in inclusive business depends on getting the business model right. Obvious, but not easy. Of course there is no blueprint. But scrutinising 40 inclusive businesses in the portfolio supported by the Business Innovation Facility pilot from 2010-2013, we discern some common features. As the BIF pilot draws to a close, we have five assertions […]
Business Models Engaging BoP Consumers & Producers
Success in inclusive business depends on getting the business model right. Obvious, but not easy. Of course there is no blueprint. But scrutinising 40 inclusive businesses in the portfolio supported by the Business Innovation Facility pilot from 2010-2013, we discern some common features. As the BIF pilot draws to a close, we have five assertions […]
Should the UK Government Promote UK Businesses in Developing Countries?
Justine Greening’s speech at the London Stock Exchange on Monday highlights the growing emphasis on how business contributes to economic growth, and on how growth is the way out of absolute poverty. There are two interrelated objectives here: reduce poverty in developing countries through economic growth (i.e. by creating new jobs and raising incomes) and […]
Business Models that Engage Consumers or Producers at the Base of the Pyramid
Success in inclusive business depends on getting the business model right. Obvious, but not easy. Of course there is no blueprint. But scrutinising 40 inclusive businesses in the portfolio supported by the Business Innovation Facility pilot from 2010-2013, we discern some common features. As the BIF pilot draws to a close, we have five assertions […]
From Bean to Bar, Putting Farmers First
Charley Wheelock founded Woodblock Chocolate with a commitment to trading fairly with cacao growers in the Caribbean Islands and South America. That direct trade relationship–a deeply personal approach to business in which Woodblock builds relationships with the first rung on the value chain–is imbedded in the company’s DNA. “The good you can do with cacao […]
Local Banks and Success in Smallholder Finance
Current local bank lending to smallholder farmers meets only 3% of the global demand, but the sector presents enormous opportunities for growth, innovation, and investment. Expansion of this lending market would support the livelihoods of two billion of the world’s rural poor. In the first briefing document in this series, the Initiative for Smallholder Finance […]
A Road to Market for Haitian Mangoes
I arrived in Haiti one year after the devastating earthquake of Jan. 12, 2010. Life in Port-au-Prince was still chaotic, evidence of not only the natural disaster, but generations of economic distress. But I quickly discovered something else about Haiti – its proud, defiant people, refusing to give up. Throughout that first year, my Haitian […]
Smart Aid – Why it's All About Jobs
Today, the UK Development Secretary, Justine Greening, delivered a speech at the London Stock Exchange on the role of business in economic growth: “Smart aid: Why it’s all about jobs”. Below is a transcript of the speech. It’s a great pleasure to be here with everyone this morning. And I want to say a massive […]
Smart Aid – Why it’s All About Jobs
Today, the UK Development Secretary, Justine Greening, delivered a speech at the London Stock Exchange on the role of business in economic growth: “Smart aid: Why it’s all about jobs”. Below is a transcript of the speech. It’s a great pleasure to be here with everyone this morning. And I want to say a massive […]
Mistaken Beliefs Blocking Progress for the Poor
Melinda and I published our latest Annual Letter this week. It’s a bit of a departure for us. Unlike the past five letters, this one isn’t about the foundation’s work. Instead, we decided to take on some of the myths — about poverty, overpopulation and foreign aid — that are blocking progress for the poor. […]
How Can We Ensure Food Security for the Future?
As we join fellow chief executives and global leaders at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2014 in Davos-Klosters, one of the top issues on our minds is global food security. Ensuring that we have enough to feed our current and future populations, and providing sustainable livelihoods to farmers and rural communities, are pressing challenges. […]
Twin Tracks and Unusual Allies in Tackling Inequality
The first two days of this year’s Davos gathering have centred on one major issue: income inequality. Right at the start of the meeting a letter from Pope Francis raised the issue, challenging the gathered leaders to make sure wealth served humanity, not the other way around. Oxfam upped the tempo with a widely-covered report […]
Inclusive Business Priorities for the New Year
The close of 2013 brings with it the inevitable series of lists of the best and worst of the year. It’s good to reflect on deeds past, but this list takes a different approach: it describes what these lists should say a year from now. Six business specialists from across CARE International answered the question: […]