According to the ODI's blog, there should now be a shift from asking why should we harness core business for development to how. The how is what the NBMST seeks to answer and put into practice through its four pilot value chain project.
This article, published in the Guardian in late February, 2009, by Harriet Lamb argues that smallholder farming could help 'save the food crisis and tackle poverty'. She argues that 'Organised groups of smallholders can also play a catalytic role in stimulating wider progress – on the environment and on social issues.And smallholders hold the key to increasing food production. Small farms produce the bulk of many developing countries' food: up to 80% of Zambia's, for example.
SAB Miller recently released its Enterprise Development Report, outlining its commitment to create sustainable economic opportunities for small entrepreneurs through its supply chain. It has pledged to increase the number of smallholders it sources its raw product from to 15,000 by 2010. This will be achieved by expanding its current projects in Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia, expanding into new countries in Africa and Latin America and introducing new crops.
An article by Ethical Corporation argues that through multinationals adopting 'inclusive business models' - integrating the poor into their value chains as suppliers, distributors and
retailers in ways that are profitable for their business - they can play a powerful role in driving economic development. It uses examples of SAB Miller's increased use of smallholder farmers in Zambia, Uganda and Tanzania and Unilever's job creation in South Africa to demonstrate the powerful role business can play in driving development.
This report, published in Jan 2009, by the World Economic Forum, looks at ways in which the potential at the 'base of pyramid' can be unleashed. It looks at how almost 3.7 million people are excluded from formal markets and offer significant growth opportunities for businesses. The report presents examples of successful inclusive business ventures put together from a year long survey. It demonstrates how 'inclusive business can profitably engage or serve this large population group of consumers, producers and entrepreneurs'.
SABMiller, one of the world's leading brewers, today announces its intention to significantly increase its use of local sourcing, as part of a commitment to maximise economic development in the markets where it operates.
