Publication database

In 2015, the ADB engaged Inclusive Business Sweden to prepare this sector study on IB models in the value chain of the textile and clothing industry in Asia, focusing on Bangladesh and Myanmar. The study focussed on mapping opportunities for developing inclusive business models across supply chains in Asia as possible new and innovative investment opportunities for leading Swedish and other international and local companies in the sector. 11 broad opportunities were identified in Bangladesh and 8 in Myanmar. Within each of the two countries, two opportunities were prioritised which were considered to be commercially viable and scalable with a great potential for positive impact. 

Insurance is a largely invisible yet ubiquitous part of our economies. Our health, movements, purchases, homes, and even lives are usually covered by insurance. Without insurance, the unpredictability of the future would be too great and it would be difficult to take risks and innovate. In other words, insurance typically allows people to break the psychological and financial barriers which normally prevent them from engaging in potentially riskier activities thus forgoing greater reward and innovation. Insurance has contributed to macroeconomic development through economic growth, stabilization, distribution, and innovation.

Companies could unlock US$3.7 trillion a year in cities with an annual investment of US$2.5 trillion in sustainable business models by 2030. The opportunities are broken down across 16 areas, including affordable housing, energy efficiency in buildings, improved mobility systems, building resilient cities, smart metering, modular and timber buildings, water infrastructure and cultural tourism. Researchers estimate a range of value for each opportunity.

This report analyses the value chain of the vanilla industry and highlights the challenges and proposed solutions to increase farmer incomes. These include the recommendations at the local, national, supply chain and consumer levels.

OECD and FAO have developed this Guidance to help enterprises observe standards of responsible business conduct and undertake due diligence along agricultural supply chains in order to ensure that their operations contribute to sustainable development. The Guidance comprises:

• A model enterprise policy outlining the standards that enterprises should observe to build responsible agricultural supply chains;
• A framework for risk-based due diligence describing the five steps that enterprises should follow to identify, assess, mitigate and account for how they address the adverse impacts of their activities;
• A description of the major risks faced by enterprises and the measures to mitigate these risks;
• Guidance for engaging with indigenous peoples.

This paper introduces the IB Scan, a method to reveal crucial insights on the inclusion of smallholders in agricultural value chains complementing conventional data collection methods. The IB Scan offers companies, producer organisations, NGOs, and service providers a fast and efficient monitoring tool to measure the inclusivity of a particular business model as it is perceived by smallholder farmers.

This report aims to help unlock business opportunities that advance the health, rights, and well-being of women in global value chains. It highlights the benefits of investing in women along the value chain and provides a framework for action and practical guidance for companies to identify and strengthen value-chain investment opportunities that deliver positive returns to business, women, and society.

Index-based insurance is an innovative financial service that can help smallholder farmers manage some of the risks related to weather conditions. On one hand, the increasing availability of this financial service offers a big opportunity to both farmers and providers. On the other hand, the complexity of this risk management tool can lead to poorly-understood index insurance products that may do more harm than good. This Briefing Note has been produced as part of the Global Action Network to advance agriculture insurance, a partnership between the Facility, USAID and the BASIS Assets and Market Access Innovation Lab/I4 Index Insurance Innovation Initiative at the University of California Davis.

The paper highlights critical pathways for developing a radical mind set that aligns sustainability with profit and transforms business and markets. It is a practical guide for those who recognise that the challenge is no longer how to build the business case for action, but how to evolve and deploy the business models needed to create new forms of financial and extra-financial value.