Announcing the Winners of the NextBillion Case Writing Competition
In October 2012, the IFC lent Bank Tabungan Pensiunan Nasional Tbk (BTPN) $100 million to finance small and micro enterprises, including women entrepreneurs. The financing, which was six times the amount IFC provided to BTPN in 2009, marked a significant milestone for the Indonesian bank. But just a few years earlier, BTPN President Jerry Ng […]
Maximum Aspiration and Minimum Standards- Driving Change in Business Contributions to Poverty Reduction
Justine Greening’s speech on 11 March at the London Stock Exchange on business and development repays careful study. It expands on the commitment to growth and jobs that she made in an earlier, agenda-setting speech on 7 February. In that earlier speech, she committed to ‘ramping up’ DFID’s focus on helping to drive economic growth, […]
The Nigerian Sustainable Banking Principles – Paving the way for Responsible Business in Nigeria
Entering Lagos – a city of 7 million and the second fastest growing city in Africa – is quite an experience. One is immediately stunned by the chaotic atmosphere, the obvious energy that can only be found in a booming African economy and the feeling that opportunities lie in every corner. For an outsider visiting […]
Launch Of The BCtA In Sweden And Announcement Of IKEA’s Commitment
Sahba Sobhani, Program Manager, Business Call to Action, UNDP and Carolina Benedictsson, Program Manager, Global Cooperation Unit, Sida Developing business models that offer both commercial success and development impact has been at the core of the Business Call to Action (BCtA), a worthwhile initiative supported by UNDP and other partners since 2008 to assists companies […]
World Water Day: A Sustainable Water Solution for Coffee Processing in Ethiopia
Lensamo Lamiso’s coffee wet mill sits near the banks of the Kolla River in Ethiopia’s Sidama Zone. During the harvest season, the site bustles with activity as 150 seasonal workers process fresh coffee “cherries” from thousands of local farmers. But this activity comes at a cost. Lamiso’s mill uses a large amount of water to […]
Lendwithcare in the Philippines – Providing more than just microcredit
Like every visit to a lendwithcare.org partner, it has been characteristically heartening to see how these businesses are thriving because of access to vital capital. A typical story is to see that within a year or so of investment, coupled with financial and business advice from our partner MFIs, entrepreneurs have managed to double or […]
IFC: MICROINSURANCE – A Private Sector Safety Net
When people lack insurance, accidents, disasters, and death can bring financial devastation. And in the developing world, most people lack insurance. But a new IFC investment will help 11 million people obtain it in the coming years. When tragedy strikes, those in low- and middle-income groups often lose their earning power and face immediate hardship, […]
Cassava beer in Ghana – New Beer, New Opportunities
Today we’re excited to announce the launch of our cassava beer, Eagle, in Ghana. It marks not just the launch of a new beer brand, but the opening up of new opportunities for business, consumers and Ghana’s smallholder farmers. It is estimated that more than 70 percent of Ghanaian farms are 3 hectares or smaller […]
Good Intentions Don’t Always Guarantee Good Results
Last year, Corporate Citizenship published a report on Inclusive Business, The Next Frontier for Corporate Responsibility, which praised companies like Unilever, SABMiller, Nestlé and Diageo for their work in developing countries. These companies, we said, were “spreading opportunities to poor and disadvantaged people through job creation, regular income generation, connection to markets, access to education […]
Low Carbon Logic: How competitiveness drivers create a business case for low carbon investment
Climate change, international mitigation, and natural resource scarcity will transform global trade patterns. What impact will this have on developing countries? How can they maintain their competitiveness, manage threats to their growth, and capitalise on new opportunities generated? And what does this mean for their potential to achieve low carbon growth? At an ODI public […]
Investing in Growth
This morning, the London Stock Exchange hosted the Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for International Development. The Secretary of State gave a speech focusing on how DFID’s investments can drive growth in new and emerging markets, and how this work can support businesses operating in these markets and enhance trade. Below is […]
From Micro-Leasing to Micro-Futures – In Search for New Financial Solutions for Smallholders
More than 500 million smallholders provide home and livelihood to more than 2 billion people. Many of them remain in dire poverty. One reason is the lack of access to financial services that would allow these farmers to manage their cash flow, get credit to invest in productivity increases, or manage risks through insurance. Providing […]
Investing In Growth -How DFID Works In New And Emerging Markets
This morning, the London Stock Exchange hosted the Rt Hon Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for International Development. The Secretary of State gave a speech focusing on how DFID’s investments can drive growth in new and emerging markets, and how this work can support businesses operating in these markets and enhance trade. Below is […]
Bridging the Gap for African Women in Business in Uganda
On 2 March, 2013, as part of the 2013 Series, a group of inspiring people came together in Kampala to talk about “Bridging the Gap for African Women in Business”. The event was livestreamed here on Business Fights Poverty, and the focus of a blog by one of the event’s lead organisers, Ida Horner. Hope […]
Arafa: The Tanzanian Solar Engineer Leading the Way for Other Women in Her Village
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to highlight the challenges faced by women in some of the poorest communities in the world and to recognise the impact economic empowerment and increased participation in public life can have on their lives. Arafa, a mother of four from a rural community in Southern Tanzania, was chosen by […]
Arafa- the Tanzanian solar engineer leading the way for other women in her village
International Women’s Day is an opportunity to highlight the challenges faced by women in some of the poorest communities in the world and to recognise the impact economic empowerment and increased participation in public life can have on their lives. Arafa, a mother of four from a rural community in Southern Tanzania, was chosen by […]
The VSO-Accenture volunteer helping Nigerian female farmers improve their livelihoods
“My role will, I believe, lead to greater efficiency and fewer challenges for those working in agriculture in Nigeria’ s Nassarawa State, Plateau State and Kaduna State. As a Knowledge Share Manager for VSO Nigeria, my job is part of the VSO secure livelihoods program, Making Markets Work for the Poor. This program aims to […]
Private Sector and Women’s Empowerment- Weaving Together Two Strands of Development’s “Golden Thread”
VSO How can businesses factor gender equality into their development partnerships with NGOs? As we approach International Women’s Day on 8th March, a series of articles from VSO and our partners, published every day this week on Business Fights Poverty, looks at how the private sector and NGOs can play a part in supporting women’s […]
Behind the Brands: Where is our food produced and under what conditions?
We have all watched public confidence in the European food industry plummet in recent weeks with the revelation that many familiar products in supermarkets, some restaurants and even in school dinners contain horsemeat. And ‘horsegate’ is not the only issue. According to the Guardian, EU labelling regulations allow tomato puree grown and processed in China […]
Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value
Help your programme scale up! We are looking to invest in social change by helping innovative, commercially viable, and high impact initiatives achieve social scale and financial sustainability. The winning entry will benefit from financial support of up to CHF 500,000 (approx. USD 530,000). Specific fields of activity include, but are not limited to: agriculture, […]