Are inclusive enterprises different, or do they follow at least some of the same principles as for-profit businesses?

In 2001 the India-born scholar Saras Sarasvathy began to question whether or not experienced entrepreneurs actually follow the formal steps suggested by banks and business schools (market survey, formal business plan, etc.). The study that resulted from her curiosity surprised many people...

When Sarasvathy studied “expert” entrepreneurs…

http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/farming-for-the-future-biodynamic-agriculture-in-egypt/

There is amount of Sekem products that are really good but  people trust to big companies and those products that have a great marketing plans and known by tv eg.? Anyway biodynamic and organic are more than sale- plan ,it is lifestyle that are sustaining world and want change for better

Ipacc´s blog =Indigenous people of Africa co-ordinating commitee

Great news as we plan the implementation of two CSA projects in Malawi and Zambia in February:

http://www.fao.org/news/story/en/item/119835/icode/

On Tuesday night I discovered that when the fuel indicator light in my car goes red, I only have a few short journeys around town left in the tank. I discovered the hard way - by running out - and had to use the remains of my second to last jerry can to get me on the road again. I have one precious 20 litre can left ...then what? There have been virtually no fuel deliveries into Malawi since the new year and there is nothing to indicate that the problem, caused by the lack of FOREX needed to…

      The Republican primaries are on, and it’s that time to get excited again if you plan to monitor the American elections. As the candidates debate it out between themselves, sling mud at each other, and develop catchphrases to hone their rhetoric; election year is definitely hype worthy. And there are the scandals too, which if proven true can totally obliterate a candidate’s chances of getting the nomination. Take Herman Cain for…

Producing Himalayan nettles

Micro-Enterprise Development Programme/UNDP, Nepal/

Karma Shop By Heidi´s permission 

Producing nettles 

Copyrights :Micro-Enterprise Development Programme/UNDP, Nepal/ Karma Shop.fi

Alt link :…

http://www.karma.fi/cat/medep.php 

(Heidi`s and Karmashops collection is just wonderful ,isn´t it .)

If the local people eat nettles ? No, but the seeds are used as nourishing /spice .

The Business Innovation Facility is piloting a new approach to supporting inclusive business. A ‘pilot’ is only useful if it generates lessons.  So, after one and a half years of operation in five countries, we are starting to share some preliminary lessons about this approach.

Lessons about how companies implement inclusive business are elsewhere on the Hub.  These lessons are about how business and development programmes can facilitate inclusive business by working…

Specialty food business Lotus Foods was awarded a small grant to scale up its sustainable rice initiative in IAP's first funding round last year.  The company has now been profiled in Specialty Food Magazine, part of the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, in a recent article entitled…

Three billion people in the developing world use open fires or wood charcoal for cooking. Cooking over open fire produces black soot and toxic gases, leading to the premature death of 1,8 million persons yearly, mainly women and children. It is also estimated that particulates from open fires is responsible for 18% of the greenhouse effect. Many low-income families spend a substantial part of their household income on wood or charcoal for cooking. Others spend a lot of time collecting wood…

Meet Shirley

Shirley is 26, married with three children, and lives in Uganda. She runs a small kiosk that sells airtime and SIM cards for several mobile network operators (MNOs). She also sells phone cases and second-hand clothes to supplement her income. Shirley started her business as a retail agent for mobile operators with just a wooden box, a stool and an initial investment of USD75. Today, the business provides her with a…

In November 2011, the first round of projects to receive support from Innovations Against Poverty were selected for both small and large grants. The IAP team has analysed these projects to determine their key characteristics including geographical and sectoral spread, size and type of applicant organisations, and main beneficiary groups. The main findings of this analysis are summarised in two-page summary.…

The Business Innovation Facility (BIF) in collaboration with The Convention on Business Integrity (CBi) organized an Executive Roundtable on…

A 'must watch' documentary for anyone interested in this subject.

http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/peopleandpower/2012/01/20121484624797945.html

Filmed in the period leading up to, and after, the election of Michael Sata. But looks back to Zambian 50 years ago when KK and those involved in the independence movement developed relationships with the…

It has to be said that when Karen Smith, BIF Malawi country manager, and I visited the 126Ha site that Malawi Mangoes (MM) have secured for their banana plantation in early December last year, there was very little to see! However, it didn’t take much imagination to understand the potential for this big thinking business start up.  …