Highlighting the Plight of Woman Agricultural Workers in Coffee Production #BalanceforBetter International Women’s Day 2019
When Florence Njiraini’s new husband gifted her 1,500 coffee plants on the slopes of Mt. Kenya years ago, she knew almost nothing about farming. Determined to make her plot a success, she set about learning as much as she could, and soon she was employing sustainable growing practices. Njiraini is not only successful as a […]
A Transparent Cuppa – Mapping Our Tea and Coffee Supply Chains
As we enter the second week of Fairtrade Fortnight, it’s a time to celebrate our Fairtrade products and reflect on our hard work building strong relationships with our producers and working on programmes such as empowering women in the supply chain. This year, Fairtrade marks 25 years since it launched in the UK; a pioneering standard, […]
Inside IKEA: A Furniture Store on a Social Mission
The big blue and yellow storefront is unmistakable in more than 50 countries. While distinctly Swedish, IKEA has a long and rich history in Switzerland. Now it is trying to rally other companies in the country around gender equality. Will they listen? Since 1943, IKEA has transformed living rooms and the shopping experience in countries […]
How Can We Optimise Business Impact to Solve Complex Challenges? 5 Insights from the Ice Academy
BFP: What is the Ice Academy? In 2017, the Ice Academy programme was created to support people who have refugee status get back into business and remove barriers they face entering the job market. The goal is to provide people with the opportunities and resources needed to start a business, through entrepreneurship training, mentoring and […]
The Tide is Coming in for Indonesia’s Seaweed
Along the coast of the province of South Sulawesi, villagers began farming seaweed to supplement their income from fishing several decades ago. As global demand for seaweed and seaweed products has taken off, prices have increased and many villagers have taken up seaweed farming full-time. Mangambe Daeng Siama, a seaweed farmer from the village of […]
New Ways of Partnering: The CARE and Cargill Partnership
In December of 1958, in lieu of sending out Christmas cards for the holidays, Cargill made a charitable contribution to CARE, in support of their aid packages to families in poverty-stricken countries. It was the beginning of an association that has endured for more than 60 years, and which has latterly evolved from a relatively […]
CARE, Cargill and Communities: An Historic, Mutual Agenda for Change
For charities, even large, well-established ones, working with multinational corporations can often seem to be a process fraught with pitfalls. The corporate world has for decades been seen as entirely separate—and sometimes even antagonistic—to that of civil society organizations and humanitarian assistance. To NGOs, even simple transactional relationships—the giving and receiving of money—can carry risks, […]
Seven Key Learnings for Corporate Partnership Leads in 2019
At the end of last year, WWF and Tesco announced they would be joining forces in a four year partnership to deliver affordable, healthy, sustainable food with a shared goal to half the environmental impact of the average shopping basket. Working together they will be focusing on three key areas of activity: Helping customers eat […]
Can Microfinance Solve the Finance Woes of Facebook Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh?
Research estimates the presence of over 300,000 merchant pages and 28 million Facebook users in Bangladesh today. Large companies are increasing their promotional focus in the platform, to target the right clients and benefit from the large customer base. The most promising factor, however, are not the big players, but the multitude of small businesses […]
How Root Capital and the IKEA Foundation are Building the Resilience of Smallholder Farmers in East Africa
Root Capital and the IKEA Foundation are announcing a new partnership, worth €4.8 million, to help 260,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda increase their income and adapt to climate change. The grant builds on the success of a previous partnership, through which Root Capital supported dozens of Kenyan agricultural businesses, helping them break the […]
Doing Business with Integrity is an Increasingly Important Driver of Commercial Success
As the COO of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), I see a growing number of ambitious companies capitalising on opportunities in high potential frontier markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the post-Brexit world, these markets will become increasingly important and attractive environments in which to do business but for the unprepared […]
Building Resilient Businesses through the Ministry of Justice’s Six Principles of Bribery Prevention
The Bribery Act 2010 is one of the most robust pieces of anti-bribery legislation anywhere in the world, creating offences for those directly involved in acts of bribery, and for the corporate failure to prevent bribery. Although everyone agrees that corruption is a scourge on business and inclusive economic development, until now there has been […]
Doing Business with Integrity: An Important Driver of Commercial Success
As the CEO of Downtown in Business (DIB), a membership organisation championing business across the Midlands and North, I see a growing number of ambitious companies capitalising on opportunities in high potential frontier markets across Africa, Asia and Latin America. In the post-Brexit world, these markets will become increasingly important and attractive environments to do […]
Doing Business with Integrity Makes for Better Business
As the Director of The Institute of Business Ethics, I regularly hear stories about the operational risks companies face when doing business in frontier markets, in particular the impacts of bribery and corruption, and by the same token, how these same companies avoid the pitfalls when they embed strong values and integrity at the heart […]
Doing Business with Integrity Case Study: Forensic Pathways
Company overview: Birmingham-based Forensic Pathways Ltd operates in the digital forensics and evidence arena, specialising in dark web investigation and analysis, forensic laboratory consultation, ballistics analysis and data analysis solutions in the area of due diligence, forensic business services and criminal intelligence. Founded in 2001, Forensic Pathways has expanded globally, with 65% of exports in […]
Doing Business with Integrity Case Study: MLM Brasil
COMPANY OVERVIEW In 2010, MLM Group was a UK-based, mid-sized engineering consultancy with big ambitions, looking to Brazil to develop their expertise, increase revenues, and provide diverse projects for their employees. Eight years later, in partnership with Brazilian management consultancy NBS Consulting Group, MLM has pioneered UK buildings sustainability certifications in Brazil. MLM Brasil’s projects […]
Doing Business with Integrity Case Study: Dints International
COMPANY OVERVIEW Founded in 2007, Dints International provides supply chain solutions to the mining, construction and heavy equipment industries; managing machinery and parts supply, component and machinery rebuild programmes, alongside outsourcing and finance support. 90% of Dint’s business is in Africa, in countries including Cameroon, Congo, DR Congo, Madagascar, Kenya, Ethiopia, Guinea, Mali, Gambia, Burkina […]
Doing Business with Integrity Case Study: Coltraco Ultrasonics
COMPANY OVERVIEW Founded in 1987, Coltraco Ultrasonics Limited is a leading British Ultrasonics Technology Manufacturer: “Using sound which others cannot hear, in liquids, air and solids.” Coltraco Ultrasonics designs innovative and intuitive safety technology, focusing on watertight integrity, fire safety, condition monitoring and lifetime after sales support. The company exports 89% of their output to […]
Are You Driving Social Impact within the Health Innovation Space?
In Germany, time constraints often mean that breast cancer screening examinations are done quickly. Frank Hoffman CEO and Founder of Discovering Hands has worked as a gynaecologist since 1993. During this time, Frank always focused his practice on early detection. But he also believed that the examination could be optimised; “The idea occurred to me […]
BCtA at 10: Inclusivity for All in an Ambitious New Call to Action
A decade ago, Business Call to Action (BCtA) was launched with just 18 companies at the helm. During our inauguration, then-prime minister of the UK Gordon Brown said: “Business Call to Action is a landmark opportunity for global business leaders to come together to develop new and innovative ways to spread growth, prosperity and opportunity […]