Social Welfare

Empowering Social Welfare to Fight Poverty

Extreme heat is the deadliest US climate threat, costing thousands of lives and hundreds of billions of dollars annually. A new white paper, Heat Resilience: An Opportunity for Cross-Sector Action in the United States, outlines a shared agenda, sector guidance, and policy and finance levers to drive coordinated, community-centered resilience across business, government and healthcare.
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Agroecology is a powerful pathway to climate-resilient, sustainable food systems. Brenda Huerta of Fairtrade International explores how soil health, biodiversity, and farmer agency are interconnected, highlighting successful examples from banana cooperatives in Latin America. As COP30 approaches, she calls for bold investment in agroecology as a foundation for social justice, environmental regeneration, and resilient livelihoods.
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Åsa Skogström Feldt, MD, IKEA Social Entrepreneurship shares how business can be a force for good & why they accelerate social enterprises.
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At this year’s Business Fights Poverty Global Goals Summit, a number of sessions turned their attention to the launch of our new Five Bridges to 2045: How Business Can Build a Fairer, More Resilient Future. Eighteen experts from our global network took part in online sessions and an in-person event hosted with Barclays in New York, where representatives from Ikea, Natura, Vodafone Foundation, ABF Sugar and Fundación Paraguaya shared their perspectives on how to bring the report’s vision of embedding social impact and sustainability into core business closer to reality.
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Social Impact Pioneer, social entrepreneur, home care leader and purposeful leader – Amrit Dhaliwal shares how to be a values-driven leader.
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Hybrid healthcare models—combining in-person and digital care—are closing critical gaps in low-income communities. The Swiss Re Foundation’s Entrepreneurs for Resilience 2026 programme is now accepting applications from ventures using this hybrid approach. Selected finalists will receive funding, technical support, and visibility to help scale impact and deliver essential care where it’s needed most.
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Sales agent models have the potential to improve access to goods and services while creating economic opportunity for women and youth. Drawing on work from Rwanda and Mozambique, TechnoServe’s Sophie Duchanoy and Sarah Bove share three key factors in making these approaches work.
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With the impacts of climate change exacerbating health inequalities, how can businesses promote health equity through their climate action? Partnership for Southern Equity relates how it worked directly with healthcare professionals to advance climate and health equity, and introduces four practical steps outlined in the new Centering Health Equity in Climate Action Toolkit for Businesses.
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As a Ugandan beneficiary of aid, Keith Kibirango highlights how USAID’s funding freeze exposes the flaws in traditional aid models, leaving communities vulnerable and disillusioned. This crisis calls for new, sustainable partnerships that prioritize direct impact and local leadership. The Global South must take charge of its development and funding future.
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Access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) remains a major challenge for billions. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in filling this gap, but their impact can be enhanced through behaviour change strategies. By leveraging local trust, targeted communication, and data-driven insights, SMEs can drive healthier communities while growing sustainable businesses.
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Social Impact Pioneer, Peter Buturo explains how social work strengthens communities, combats poverty, and champions justice.
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Garment workers, particularly women, face growing risks from climate extremes, threatening their health, wages, and livelihoods. A climate-responsive worker insurance program—funded by fashion brands, suppliers, and governments—could provide crucial protections, ensuring financial security and resilience. As climate risks intensify, the fashion industry must prioritize worker-centered solutions for a just transition and sustainable supply chains.
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Antoinette Marie, Director of Heifer Labs, and Sander de Jong, Managing Director of Fairfood talk blockchain, supplychains and food.
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Investing in women’s health and reproductive rights is both smart climate action and good business. With women disproportionately affected by climate stressors—like heat, flooding, and forced migration—companies have a responsibility and a benefit in enhancing their health. Boosting women’s well-being strengthens supply chains, drives productivity, and builds resilience in the face of climate change.
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As the climate COP29 in Baku concludes without much fanfare, understanding what was really going on is more important than ever. Business Fights Poverty Youth Ambassador, Malkia Johns sits down within the COP and speaks with two women’s health activists, Niona Nakuya and Terry Owino.
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Delivering timely and effective health care in rural communities presents unique challenges, from limited resources and geographical isolation to cultural barriers and lack of
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Watch this Hybrid Workshop with Reckitt on unleashing social innovation to increase access to water and health by leveraging powerful partnerships and overcoming barriers to
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Watch this Fireside Chat with Merck on how innovative multi-stakeholder partnerships centred on the needs of rural communities can lead to transformative and timely healthcare
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The global malnutrition crisis presents a growing challenge, but businesses have a powerful tool at their disposal: plants. By leveraging plant-based innovations, companies can develop sustainable, nutrient-rich solutions that combat food insecurity. Chris Grayson, The Power of Nutrition, shares how harnessing the potential of plants not only addresses malnutrition but also taps into a rising demand for healthier, eco-conscious products.
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Waste to Wonder Worldwide transforms discarded corporate furniture into valuable resources for underserved communities. Since 2003, its “School in a Box” initiative has furnished over 1,400 schools in 40 countries, impacting 1.5 million young people. This social enterprise exemplifies how businesses can leverage resources to drive sustainability and social change, creating a lasting global impact.
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What do we mean by "Social Welfare"?

Discover how enhancing social welfare can empower communities and reduce poverty through integrated business solutions and policy advocacy.

Sub-topics within this category