Publication database

This paper discusses the role of the private sector in poverty reduction by offering ideas and insights into topical poverty issues and what they mean for business. It outlines the ways in which businesses can engage with Oxfam, and how developing a stronger understanding of development issues can help businesses.

This report provides an in-depth review of market-based approaches to improving access to energy; it clusters and analyses these strategies within four categories: 'grid connections', 'devices', 'solar home systems', and 'rural cooperatives'. It provides recommendations on how Aid agencies, Governments, Civil Society, Social entrepreneurs, Investors and Multinational corporations, can support and extend energy solutions lower in the Base of Pyramid.

This thesis reviews five elements needed by social enterprises working at the base of the pyramid in order to achieve scale and sustainability, drawing upon examples from the Philippine BOP retail market. It reviews and makes recommendations for BOP theory development and encourages further research into BOP consumer behaviour.

Este documento presenta las lecciones aprendidas por el Fondo Internacional de Desarrollo Agrícola en el desarrollo rural enfocado en ejes de transformación productiva, gestión de proyectos y desarrollo institucional.

This brief summarises the experience of the Spier Hotel in South Africa which implemented strategies to bring local entrepreneurs into its supply chain. It demonstrates the substantial development impact that can be generated by localising procurement, and it provides practical tips on how to bring local micro and small enterprises into corporate supply chains.

This paper details the path undertaken by the USAID-funded Kenya Business Development Services Program (KBDS) in facilitating the emergence of the Kenyan avocado cluster while building more inclusive markets for rural smallholder farmers. It discusses enhancing the competitiveness in the avocado sector and the lessons learned in facilitating inclusive markets.

This report documents discussions and findings from a three-day workshop in Jaipur which focused on opportunities to enable access to markets at the base of the pyramid. It examines challenges in forming business linkages across three areas: 'operational', 'reputation and relationship management', and 'systemic challenges, examples and solutions' and summarises patterns of solutions for successful linkages.

This report highlights that wireless telecommunications have the potential to reduce carbon emissions significantly. It discusses how savings can come from 13 specific opportunities within five key areas: dematerialisation, smart grids, smart logistics, smart cities, and smart manufacturing.

This case study reviews the 'Livestock Marketing and Enterprise Project' and 'Livestock Purchasing Fund' in Kenya, which aimed to create a responsible livestock marketing system that would integrate 5,000 pastoralists from the Carissa district of Kenya into the livestock markets in Nairobi and Mombasa, thereby improving pastoralist incomes. It discusses the enterprise's value chain and model; the challenges and successes; and details the strategy behind the Livestock Purchasing Fund.

Starting with water kiosks in Zambia and ending with examples in Tanzania and Kenya, the paper illustrates how water kiosks respond to the challenges of water supply in low-income countries. It provides the reader with a management concept on how to set up water kiosks in other countries . It illustrates the role of the government and highlights appropriate regulations and indicates the activities of German Development Cooperation.