WBCSD Inclusive Business

Scaling up inclusive business ventures across Latin America and the Caribbean – Highlights of BASE Forum in Medellin (June 6-7)

The Inter-American Development Bank’s Opportunities for the Majority Initiative (OMJ) held its second international conference on business at the base of the pyramid (BASE Forum) on June 6 and 7 in Medellín, Colombia. Here’s a wrap-up from a WBCSD perspective.

The conference gathered some 1’300 participants (business executives, development professionals, entrepreneurs, government officials, impact investors, media) around the current state of the art regarding the development and deployment of inclusive business models at scale across Latin America and the Caribbean. The region has a 300 million people-strong, modest income population segment with a collective purchasing power of $500 billion a year, with companies of all sizes competing to meet their basic needs and aspirations for a better life.

Medellín to host forum on developing and deploying inclusive business models across Latin America and the Caribbean (June 6-7, 2013)

The Inter-American Development Bank’s Opportunities for the Majority Initiative (OMJ) is holding its second international conference on business at the base of the pyramid (BOP) on June 6 and 7 in Medellín, Colombia.

Some 800 business people and leaders in international development, the non-profit sector, academia and the media will convene from around the world to delve deep into the nuts and bolts of inclusive business, impact investing and the research behind it. The goal of the 2013 Forum will be to showcase successful inclusive business models and their potential for business strategy and poverty reduction across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Scaling up finance for the base of the pyramid – G20 Inclusive Business Workshop in Medellin on June 5

At the Group of 20 (G20) Leaders Summit in Mexico last year, the winners of the G20 Challenge on Inclusive Business Innovation were announced: 15 outstanding businesses that offer innovative, scalable and financially sustainable ways of working with low-income people in developing countries.

As a follow-up to the awards ceremony, Germany and Saudi Arabia, in their role as co-facilitators of the G20 pillar on “Private Investment and Job Creation”, have set up a series of workshops aiming to offer a business-to-business forum bringing together the G20 Challenge winners with business leaders and experts. The objective of the workshops is to foster the spread of inclusive businesses across regions by showcasing successful examples, developing solutions to inclusive businesses’ growth challenges, and encouraging new partnerships. The first workshop took place in Berlin in September 2012 (read summary here), while a second workshop was held in Mumbai (read summary here).

A workshop focused on Latin America will take place on June 5 in Medellin, Colombia. It will address the topic of “Scaling up Finance for the Base of the Pyramid”, exploring innovative instruments and mechanisms for consumer financing on the one hand, and value chain financing on the other hand. Participants will discuss key success factors and the required ecosystem to enable the spread of successful financing solutions for the base fo the pyramid. The day will combine interactive peer-learning sessions and networking opportunities as well as discussions with internationally renowned experts.

Measuring companies’ socio-economic impact – Roundup from WBCSD-ANDE event in Washington, DC

What are the challenges faced and progress being made in measuring, managing, and communicating the socio-economic impact of business? And what is the road ahead for this practice?

These questions were addressed on March 27 in Washington, DC at a half-day event co-hosted by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) and the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE).

ANDE and WBCSD brought together some 60 practitioners from the private, public, and non-governmental communities to help clarify diverse perspectives on impact measurement, understand how business can best contribute, and generate ideas on improving the practice.

BASF: Fighting malnutrition with fortified staple foods

Two billion people in developing and transitioning countries suffer from a lack of micronutrients such as vitamins and minerals in their diet. Among the consequences of such micronutrient deficiency are night blindness, higher infant, child and maternal mortality as well as a weakened immune system.

BASF, the world’s leading chemical company, has a portfolio ranging from chemicals, plastics, performance products and crop protection products to oil and gas. Within BASF’s Nutrition & Health division, the improvement of the nutrition, health and wellbeing of consumers all over the world is a main goal. As one of the largest producers of micronutrients, such as Vitamin A, BASF is contributing to the fight against micronutrient deficiency.

In 2008, BASF initiated the Strategic Alliance for the Fortification of Oil and Other Staple Foods (SAFO) in collaboration with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). The development partnership was set up with the aim of securing sufficient vitamin A intake to at least 100 million people in developing and emerging countries. As of early 2012, SAFO was operational in Bolivia, Indonesia, and Tanzania.