Economic Development

Economic Development Strategies to Combat Global Poverty

How Can We Address the Global Sanitation Challenge? Insights from “Make a Splash! Toilets for All”

Japan’s maker of water and housing products, LIXIL, has invested in a sustainable social business – SATO – to help bring affordable toilets to those that need them. In 2018, their work on SATO led them to a new partnership, “Make a Splash! Toilets for All” with UNICEF to tackle the global sanitation challenge. How did this partnership evolve and what has been learnt along the way?
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Paul Polak

Listen to this week’s Business Fights Poverty Spotlight podcast and hear from Paul Polak.
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Businesses for impact in the spotlight: 4 insights into transforming access to financial services in Nepal ​ ​

​How can technology be used to create inclusive financial infrastructure for women in remote communities? The Palladium-run SPRING Accelerator supports entrepreneurs who can bring products and services to adolescent girls. Read an interview with Accelerator participant, Amit Agrawal, CEO of Janaki Technology Pvt. Ltd., about his journey towards increasing financial inclusion for women in Nepal.
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How Can We Optimise Business Impact to Solve Complex Challenges? 5 Insights from the Ice Academy

Ben & Jerry’s, and The Entrepreneurial Refugee Network have plans to scale-up their Ice Academy programme in 2019. Having learned plenty along the way, how did these partners come together so effectively? Cat Baron, European Social Mission Programme Officer, Ben & Jerry’s and Charlie Fraser, Head of Partnerships and Co-Founder, TERN tell us more.
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Businesses and Social Change: We’re At The Starting Point, Not The Finish Line

More than three-quarters of people worldwide want CEOs “to take the lead on change” instead of waiting for the government to act, according to the 2019 Edelman Trust Barometer. Is this a good idea for society? What would this kind of leadership look like, and how could it be achieved? The past can provide answers.
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The Tide is Coming in for Indonesia’s Seaweed

Do you know much about seaweed farming? No? Well, neither did we until our interest was piqued by a story in The Jakarta Post about a development project in Indonesia.
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New Ways of Partnering: The CARE and Cargill Partnership

Partnerships are challenging. They require a shift in thinking on both sides, but the outcome more than justifies the complexity, leading, in this case, to a profound and positive impact for millions of people. Cargill’s partnership with CARE has taken time to build, requiring a long-term view and commitment from both partners to stay the course.
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CARE, Cargill and Communities: An Historic, Mutual Agenda for Change

The relationship that CARE has developed with Cargill over nearly 60 years has demonstrated that, with the right approach, the right relationships and the right ambition, partnerships can extend beyond simple financial transactions to really drive an NGO’s desired impact at scale.
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Business Integrity Initiative: Changing the Way We Do Business in Africa?

The Ethics 1st program of the US Centre for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) and the Business Integrity Initiative of the UK Government seek to put businesses from the US and the UK in touch with companies in Africa (and elsewhere) that are certified as anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliant. 230,000+ UK SMEs need clean business partners and intermediaries. Is this a business opportunity for your country?
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Can Global Partners Collaborate with Local Entrepreneurs and Find Solutions to Urgent Urban Water Challenges in Bangalore?

A recent report predicted that Bangalore might be the next major city to face water shortages. The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) expects Bangalore to run out of groundwater within just two years – this is in addition to the challenges that the booming city already faces in terms of water sanitation.
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How Can an Ecosystem Approach Help MSMEs to Thrive?

The need to adopt a more collaborative, SME ecosystem strengthening approach is increasingly understood, but there remains little in the way of practical guidance to help large companies to make this shift. A new Challenge brings together a group of companies and foundations with an interest in supporting MSMEs to learn from their experience and to help fill this gap.
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Get Involved: New Challenges on Gender-Based Violence, SME Ecosystems, Transformational Partnerships and Purpose

Business Fights Poverty’s Challenge approach brings together people from across our community and beyond who are passionate about tackling specific societal issues. We’re launching four new Challenges focused on Gender-Based Violence, SME Ecosystems, Transformational Partnerships and Purpose. Learn more and get involved!
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Welcome to the Business Fights Poverty Magazine Issue One

The ways in which business can and should be addressing social issues are many and complex. This magazine helps you to navigate the challenges and find out about some of the leading edge thinking and topics across the space.​
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Can Microfinance Solve the Finance Woes of Facebook Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh?

BRAC microfinance is working with ShopUp – one of Bangladesh’s biggest e-commerce platforms – to deliver innovative financial services. This partnership is piloting a loan product, which utilises an AI credit rating system, for small-scale Facebook-based entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. It is BRAC’s first ever product for the e-commerce sector, and the first of its kind in the microfinance sector in Bangladesh
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Skoll World Forum 2019 Ecosystem Event

This Skoll World Forum 2019 Ecosystem jointly hosted by Acumen and Business Fights Poverty and sponsored by Hershey, will explore how corporations, social enterprises,
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Large Companies Have a Key Role in Strengthening Small Supplier Integrity

This year, I’ve been proud to participate as an adviser in a project commissioned by the U.K. Government’s Business Integrity Hub, which has been established to provide practical support for companies to help prevent bribery and corruption when doing business overseas.
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How Can Business Partner to Drive Responsible Sourcing?

Join this online discussion to dive into the challenges of responsible sourcing, the impacts to business and society when done well, and not so
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How Can Business Partner to Drive Responsible Sourcing?

Join us as we explore how businesses are forging partnerships with others to make the sourcing of food and agriculture sustainable, inclusive and a force for good. This live written discussion will take place on Thursday 25 April 15:00 BST / 10:00 EDT
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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 €4.8 million partnership to help 260,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda increase their income and adapt to climate change. Together with hundreds of small and growing agricultural businesses, this partnership will build the resilience of rural communities to both market and environmental shocks.
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From Transactional to Transformational Social Impact Partnerships, How Can We Partner More Effectively?

If we are to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals, and defend progress already made, we must, all—business, civil society and government—partner more effectively
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What do we mean by "Economic Development"?

Explore how economic growth can significantly reduce poverty through innovative business initiatives and strategic planning. Join us in making a difference.

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