Publication database

Case study on Sahelia Solar, an eco-inclusive enterprise that specialises in the design and supply of a range of solar energy systems. Sahelia Solar operates in three main sectors; residential, commercial and industrial, and offers both pre-pay and pay-as-you-go (PAYG) models. The product range comprises solar back-up systems as an alternative energy source for customers who are already connected to the national energy network, solar kits for rural and remote communities who require night-time lighting, and solar hot water systems.

'Impact Measurement case study of L'OCCITANE: The L'OCCITANE Group is a natural and organic ingredient-based cosmetics and well-being products retailer, founded in 1997. The Group is committed to developing and retailing high quality products that are rich in natural and organic ingredients of traceable origins and respect for the environment. As one of the largest purchasers of shea butter from Burkina Faso, L'OCCITANE has worked with more than 10,000 women through shea producer unions, ensuring fair-trade prices for shea butter and better living standards for women producers.

This report briefly explains the approach of shared value, including factors and principles which are necessary for the successful inclusion of poor people into a company's value chain. Various business cases from different sectors and countries are presented and the diverse process steps from value chain analysis to project formulation, project implementation, impact measurement and scaling are examined.

This short study illustrates the impact that adoption of efficient irrigation technology can have on smallholder farming practices and livelihoods. It analyses enabling factors for adoption and adoption benefits for different crops, including financial analysis for Burkina Faso and Zambia.

UAB Vie offers a highly-trusted savings product to market traders in Burkina Faso. The daily, manual transactions were proving inefficient and prone to error and fraud. It therefore decided to equip each member of its sales staff with a mobile phone to record the transactions in real time. This brief reflects on the advantages and limitations of this technology upgrade.

This report maps the supply chains catering to the Base of the Pyramid for solar portable lanterns 'SPLs' in Burkina Faso. It identifies the distribution models and opportunities to leverage existing networks and channels; maps valuable sister supply chains; and assesses the main obstacles to contributing to the lack of solar lighting products in Burkina Faso.

This case study focuses on L’Occitane’s involvement with the shea sector in Burkina Faso. The report explores the inclusive business model of L’Occitane, which includes the sourcing of shea butter from rural cooperatives and the provision of capacity development for the supplying communities. The study presents constraints and the solutions adopted by the company in Burkina Faso as well as its results, including economic, social and environmental impacts.

Two important challenges in establishing and sustaining community-based insurance (CBI) schemes are low rates of community member enrolment and high lapse rates. These factors lead to low CBI coverage which in turn results in low levels of revenue for the risk carrier and limited risk-pooling, which leave CBI schemes financially and organizationally vulnerable to unexpected changes in incomes or high disease incidence. In Research Paper #15, an experimental design is used to examine how the relationship between insurance providers and health care facilities - and more specifically payment mechanisms for services delivered by health workers - can influence uptake and renewals. The research discovers that the way health care workers are remunerated by the risk carrier can crucially determine CBI performance and quality of health services as payment mechanisms also influence the way healthcare is delivered. Based on the results from this experiment, a revised CBI payment system based on health workers preferences was introduced in the Nouna district of Burkina Faso in January 2011.

This case study looks at the Nununa Federation, a profitable semi-industrial processing unit with diversified export outlets, which brings together 4,000 women shea producers in Burkina Faso. It reviews the evolution of the initiative; how SNV supported its growth; the successes and challenges; and development impacts to date.

The report deals with the question of whether the investment in women's empowerment in rural contexts and agriculture leads to gender equity on the one hand and to economic, agricultural growth, higher productivity levels on the other hand. The author analyses the role of women in the cashew sector in Burkina Faso and Ghana, and provides recommendations for policy makers and practitioners to illustrate how to improve gender equity in the cashew sector.