Zahid Torres-Rahman, Author at Business Fights Poverty

Effective Partnerships: Key to Supporting Climate Vulnerable Communities

Practical Action’s purpose for almost 60 years has been to work with people living in poverty so that they can transform their lives and influence wider systems change so that the changes can be sustained and scaled. This now means that almost everything we do with communities, business or government includes dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis.

Climate & Environment, Climate Justice, Partnerships

January 23, 2023

To Build Thriving Cocoa Communities, Educate the Children

In cocoa-growing communities, advancing education pays dividends far beyond the classroom. Because the forces affecting the industry are so deeply intertwined, when children go to school and adults get training, the surrounding communities benefit in myriad ways. That’s why Cargill has been investing in schooling for children in cocoa growing communities – and the adults around them.

Education, Global Goals, Youth

January 23, 2023

Nudges & Bridges: As Good As It Gets

The insights in the Nudges and Bridges series aim to help everyone, including business people, understand how they can contribute to peace. The category As Good As It Gets is about a sense of joy. Think to a time when you experienced something that was just, well, as good as things can get. What mood does it put you in? How do you feel about others? Do you have a sense of wanting to connect with others, to share, to build a bridge?

Conflict and Peace

January 20, 2023

Five Lessons from Ten Corporate-Charity Partnerships

At CARE Laurie Lee worked with ten of the UK’s largest FTSE100 companies, here he reflects on all of those experiences and distils the key lessons for companies to have a positive impact on poverty and the environment, and how companies, charities and governments can work well together.

Corporate Impact, Partnerships

January 19, 2023

Seafood’s Social Justice Problem: How to Better Share the Benefits of Aquatic Foods

The pursuit of profit has left the global fish and seafood sector – the world’s fastest growing food-producing industry – in disarray. Facing unsustainable growth and undermined social justice, the sector must work to ensure the socioeconomic benefits of aquatic – or blue – foods are equitably unlocked for all.

Agriculture, Human Rights

January 18, 2023

New Research Reveals the Benefits and Costs of Gender-Smart Technical Assistance to SMEs and Investors

From 2019-2022, impact investors, AlphaMundi Foundation, Acumen, AHL Venture Partners, Root Capital, SEAF and Shell Foundation launched the Gender-Smart Enterprise Assistance Research Coalition (G-SEARCh) consortium to conduct new research in the gender lens investing community. Read more on their findings of the missed opportunities for impact investors and companies.

Finance and Investment, Gender, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

January 18, 2023

Why Investing in Informal Women Workers is Critical to Maintaining Resilient Supply Chains

Over 60% of the world’s employed population make their living through informal work, with no access to formal contracts or protection. During shock events, these workers face immense hardship, receiving little or no support. Businesses, in partnership with NGOs like ActionAid, can address human rights risks and improve business continuity by investing in informal workers.

Gender, Human Rights, Innovative Business Models, Living Wages

January 18, 2023

Women Cotton Farmers and Climate Solutions

CottonConnect believe that climate adaptation and mitigation are more effective when women are involved. Given the right training, skills and tools, women tend to make more sustainable decisions. They bring holistic change to communities and drive progress. When elevated to a decision-making position, women encourage better climate governance and more climate innovation.

Agriculture, Climate & Environment, Climate Justice, Gender

January 12, 2023

Walking for Climate Justice: Community Voices Share their Desperation and Sparks of Hope.

I am a climate activist – and I walk. In the last 11 years I have walked over 35 million steps in the name of climate action. And in that time, I meet people and I listen. During the climate conference of 2022, instead of walking in Egypt, I walked with communities in Zambia, and I listened. This is a story of what I heard.

Agriculture, Climate & Environment, Climate Justice

January 12, 2023

Impact Places: Shaping Sustainable, Inclusive Urban (Re)development

How can we strategically improve cities? Shaping them to be more liveable, sustainable and inclusive, with existing local resources? We see “Impact Places” as a solution: real estate development and urban regeneration/re-development integrating holistic impact and (economic) sustainability. Here, we’ve shared our experiences and key learnings from delivering Impact Places in France.

Uncategorized

January 10, 2023

NGO Advocacy with Chelsea Hodgkins, Oxfam America

How can civil society hold businesses and governments to account? This podcast examines the role of NGO advocacy and activism in pushing for better social and environmental outcomes.

Climate & Environment, Climate Justice, Human Rights, Social Enterprises

January 9, 2023

Fostering Innovation in Healthcare Financing for Vulnerable Populations

Traditional health insurance models are not suitable for low-income segments, leaving millions of people globally financially vulnerable to health shocks. New approaches to financing healthcare are more urgently needed than ever. The Swiss Re Foundation 2023 Entrepreneurs for Resilience Award provides USD700k to accelerate entrepreneurial approaches to improving financial access to healthcare for low-income populations.

Finance and Investment, Health

January 9, 2023

How Can We Advance Vaccination Equity in Europe?

This live written panel discussion explored how we can advance vaccination equity in Europe, and address disparities in coverage amongst people affected by income poverty, severe material deprivation or social exclusion. This Insights Paper summaries the key points of the discussion.

Health

December 19, 2022

International Migrants Day: Why Access to Remedy is Crucial

Access to remedy is crucial to reduce vulnerability of migrant workers to modern slavery. To honour International Migrant’s Day, Anti-Slavery International’s explains the importance of access to remedy and what businesses can do for a migrant workforce, informed by our successful project aimed at migrant workers in Mauritius.

Human Rights, Refugees and Migration

December 18, 2022

Food Security and Climate Change, with Aled Jones, NFU Cymru

Hear from Social Impact Pioneer Aled Jones. Aled is an eighth-generation farmer and the President of the National Farmers Union Cymru – the leading agricultural organisation that represents and champions all farmers and growers in Wales.

Agriculture, Climate & Environment, Climate Action, Climate Justice, Food and Nutrition

December 14, 2022

Why the Burden on Business Women to ‘do it all’ Must Stop

Gender norms are stunting women-led enterprises, as revealed in a new report from CARE’s Ignite program. The research confirms that women entrepreneurs worldwide are so bound by gender norms, they often cannot grow their businesses – meaning less income for the household, less employment in the community and less money into the local economy.

Corporate Impact, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Gender, Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

December 14, 2022

Building Social Impact Movements with Devi Thomas, Microsoft

Meet Social Impact Pioneer Devi Thomas. During our conversation, Devi shares her wisdom and experience in successfully developing and delivering social movements and campaigns. Rarely does someone so generously gift their secret sauce as Devi does during this conversation. She takes us step by step through creating a movement.

Corporate Impact, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Engaging Employees, Fostering Leadership, Innovative Business Models, Social Enterprises

December 12, 2022

The Unrecognised Intersections Between Climate Change and Modern Slavery

How climate change and modern slavery intersect, and why this intersection must be recognised by governments and businesses. The world cannot properly tackle climate change without including efforts to end modern slavery.

Climate Justice, Human Rights, Refugees and Migration

December 7, 2022

Business and Refugees, with Yusuf and Emily

Corporate Impact, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Education, Engaging Employees, Livelihoods and Jobs, Measuring Social Impact, Refugees and Migration, Sustainable Employment

December 5, 2022