Candace Dixon: 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 […]
Cocoa Life- the project empowering women in Ghana’s cocoa growing communities
Cocoa has been grown in Ghana for over one hundred years and it is the second export crop for my country after gold. However we found that the supply of cocoa was dwindling because of many challenges. Young people were not getting involved in cocoa farming leaving such labour-intensive farming like cocoa farming in the […]
Barbara Crowther: Making international supply chains work for smallholder farmers
Fairtrade Foundation In the wake of recent food scandals, the need to increase focus on building more transparent and accountable food supply chains has once again been in the spotlight. Seeking greater transparency between trading partners, from consumer to retailer to small farmer organisations will also be one of the themes under discussion at a […]
Making international supply chains work for smallholder farmers
Fairtrade Foundation In the wake of recent food scandals, the need to increase focus on building more transparent and accountable food supply chains has once again been in the spotlight. Seeking greater transparency between trading partners, from consumer to retailer to small farmer organisations will also be one of the themes under discussion at a […]
Is there a business case for women as part of global supply chains?
Research commissioned by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that many international food companies could improve crop productivity and quality, grow the smallholder supply base and improve access to high value markets when they increase women participation. However, in spite of such evidence problems for African women in business persist and the same research […]
Kristie Wang: Nutrients for All – Thriving Ecosystems for Productive, Resilient Food Systems
Natural ecosystems ensure that vital nutrients flow from soils to food to people. Thriving ecosystems are the bedrock of healthy nutrient chains, the basis of all life on the planet. So what’s the issue? Degraded by human activity like unsustainable agricultural practices, ecosystems around the world and their capacity to regenerate are threatened. This escalating […]
Nutrients for All – Thriving Ecosystems for Productive, Resilient Food Systems
Natural ecosystems ensure that vital nutrients flow from soils to food to people. Thriving ecosystems are the bedrock of healthy nutrient chains, the basis of all life on the planet. So what’s the issue? Degraded by human activity like unsustainable agricultural practices, ecosystems around the world and their capacity to regenerate are threatened. This escalating […]
Nutrients for All: Vitality in Soil, Food, and People
Being fully nourished is a must for good health, but did you know that the carrot you’re eating today probably has far fewer vitamins and minerals than a carrot grown 50 years ago? Soil depletion, as a result of unsustainable farming methods, is a primary culprit. Another cause of depleted nutrients has been the breeding […]
Eric Clayton: The League of Intrapreneurs United
A new force for entrepreneurship is stirring within established corporations: the social intrapreneur. They help businesses innovate from within by fixing their sights on social change as pioneers, while at the same time keeping their hands on the steering wheel as pragmatic leaders. Like social entrepreneurs, social intrapreneurs seek to make a positive impact in […]
Interview with Jillene Connors Belopolsky: The Bigger “Whole” in Business
What if 1 + 1 could somehow equal 3? For social intrapreneurs working for social or environmental welfare from within a large business, there’s a chance it can. In order to create a whole that’s bigger than the sum of its parts, social intrapreneurs must be savvy. They must not only develop solutions to pressing […]
Development in Transition
This morning the UK’s Secretary of State for International Development, Justine Greening, gave a major speech on international development, setting out her priorities for the Department for International Development (DFID). The event was hosted by ONE Campaign UK. Below is a transcript of the speech: I’ve been privileged to head up DFID now as Secretary […]
Business Model Innovation for Bottom of the Pyramid
By Julia Guren, Impact Lab On December 6th, Impact Lab and LAB Open Innovation came together with the support of Business Fight Poverty to present a discussion on the challenges and opportunities faced by social entrepreneurs whose work is geared at the Bottom of the Pyramid (‘BoP’). The event brought together a panel of voices […]
Prioritising Africa – Introducing Microsoft 4Afrika
There is an African proverb that reads, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”We couldn’t agree more. Microsoft has been operating in Africa for 20 years, and today we have offices in 14 countries. As we look forward to our next 20 years, we wanted […]
Social Impact Bonds Help Investors Bridge Philanthropy and Business Goals
Long before doctor and entrepreneur Paul Polak began trying to revolutionize social investing — before he could even drive a car — he was planting the seeds for a movement he hopes will change the way some people do business. It was 1939, and Polak’s father was making a good living as a peasant farmer […]
Rethinking and Reframing Sustainable Sourcing – Creating Shared Value
Tomorrow – Tuesday 5th February (at 7pm UK) and on Thursday 7th February (2pm UK), I will be discussing the concept of shared value as part of a webinar with Dr Helen Crowley, Conservation & Ecosystem Services Specialist, PPR; and Liesl Truscott, Director Farm Engagement Textile Exchange. To register for the webinar, click here. We […]
Fighting Hunger
The Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign which 100 charities launched yesterday includes some inspiring and also challenging messages for business and the wider world. At the heart of the new campaign is the fact that although the world produces enough food for everyone, hundreds of millions of people are hungry and malnourished, with devastating […]
UK NGOs Launch "IF" Campaign on Food and Hunger
The Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign which 100 charities launched yesterday includes some inspiring and also challenging messages for business and the wider world. At the heart of the new campaign is the fact that although the world produces enough food for everyone, hundreds of millions of people are hungry and malnourished, with devastating […]
UK NGOs Launch “IF” Campaign on Food and Hunger
The Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign which 100 charities launched yesterday includes some inspiring and also challenging messages for business and the wider world. At the heart of the new campaign is the fact that although the world produces enough food for everyone, hundreds of millions of people are hungry and malnourished, with devastating […]
Who’s Innovating at the BOP?
Solar-powered milk cooling systems in Ethiopia, bio-gas charges for electric devices in Bangladesh, testing kits for substandard medicines in Kenya; these are just three of the many innovations that served as an anchor for discussion at last month’s “Implementing Inclusive Innovation” conference, hosted by the BoP Innovation Center in Amsterdam. The Business Call to Action […]
Lisa Dreier: Can partnerships feed the world?
Global food systems are increasingly at risk. Rising demand, scarce resources and increased volatility are putting new pressures on agriculture and food systems. More than 870 million people are chronically hungry, many of whom are small farmers. Farmers are not the only ones struggling. Governments, companies, international agencies and civil society groups are looking for […]