The Power of Water and Soap
Sometimes in seeking solutions to big challenges, the simple things can be taken for granted. I recall a meeting I attended several years ago. Johnson & Johnson’s Contribution Committee for Africa convened in Lusaka, Zambia to decide what strategies we would pursue to improve health care for the needy in Africa. It is an exotic […]
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 […]
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 […]
A DFID Perspective on the Private Sector
An Interview with Alistair Fernie, Head of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) Private Sector Department. The interview was conducted by the Business Call to Action. Alistair Fernie has been head of the Department for International Development’s (DFID) private sector department, based in London, since 5 August 2013. Prior to that he spent four and […]
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 […]
Women's Economic Equality In The Middle East
“Women are not making it to the top of any profession anywhere in the world – the numbers tell the story quite clearly,” says Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in her 2010 TEDx Talk. Sandberg’s advice to women in her New York Times bestseller, “Lean In,” is relevant across the globe: less than half of working-age […]
Women’s Economic Equality In The Middle East
“Women are not making it to the top of any profession anywhere in the world – the numbers tell the story quite clearly,” says Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg in her 2010 TEDx Talk. Sandberg’s advice to women in her New York Times bestseller, “Lean In,” is relevant across the globe: less than half of working-age […]
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 […]
Unlocking our Potential: Reshaping the World
Having spent some time in Davos at the World Economic Forum (WEF), it’s clear that the role of business in addressing global issues has never been greater. This year’s theme, ‘The Reshaping of the World: Consequences for Society, Politics and Business,’ challenged the 2,500 plus attendees – business leaders, policy makers, academics and journalists – […]
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 […]