Should for-profit firms be in the business of social change? Should not-for-profits take a lesson from their Wall Street cousins? Read below and make up your mind.
"A Charity with an Unusual Interest in the Bottom Line" (NYT, Nov 13, 06) profiles the Acumen Fund, which invests in groups and companies that tackle poverty-related issues. The Acumen Fund works on the premise that incremental investments help people help themselves to build wealth and improve their own lives.
"The Economist on 'Fair Trade'" (NYT, Dec 16, 06) examines the Economist's argument that "fair trade" good fail to address the real problem with global agriculture: overproduction, which has driven down prices and made it hard for farmers to earn a living. It also offers links to food policy blogs that take umbrage with this argument.
"The 2007 Social Capitalist Awards" (Fast Company, Dec/Jan 06/07) take a look at the ways in which nonprofits like Donors Choose and Grameen Foundation are tackling specific causes with sophisticated IT networks and business models.
"Beyond the Green Corporation" (BW, Jan 29, 07) examines whether or not sexy policies like sustainability and flexible working conditions actually have a positive effect on a business's bottom line. The most interesting thing about this article, to me, was the emerging sentiment among analysts that CEOs are now expected to be more than business heads; they're expected to be statesmen with an awareness of their company's role in a complex global web. (I would argue that good CEOs have always seen themselves this way.)
"Why 'Corporate Goodness' Is Not Enough" (ChangeThis, Feb 6, 07) is a manifesto from corporate social responsibility writer Christine Arena.
"Businesses Grow More Socially Conscious" (USAT, Feb 14, 07) gives corporate social responsibility (CSR) the USAT treatment. This article is less nuanced than the BW piece, and swallows the idea that being a responsible corporate citizen is also good business. Still, it's a handy overview.
"'Fair Trade' Food Booming in Britain" (CSM, Mar 13, 07) reports that in the U.K., the idea of "ethical eating" is now firmly in the mainstream. Not touched on in the article: whether "fair trade" is good business, or whether this behavior in the U.K. is typical or atypical of other wealthy Western nations.
"Organics: A Poor Harvest for Wal-Mart" (BW, Apr 12, 07) points out that Wal-Mart's previously well-reported move toward stocking more organic groceries was part of its ploy to woo affluent shoppers into its stores -- and that strategy has not been terribly successful. Another reason organic food is not going down with the Wal-Mart crowd: the majority of shoppers there are focused on price first, provenance second -- a sharp reversal of priorities compared to your average Whole Foods shopper. Finally: Wal-Mart simply can't use its traditional tactics in re: controlling supply and demand. Organic production has its own set of rules. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to see how green business will percolate through the U.S. food supply chain.
(Speaking of the U.S. food supply chain, bookmark the Cornucopia Institute's "Who Owns Organic" to find out how Kraft and Coca-Cola are in this market.)
"Dot-com Lessons for Going Green" (CSM, Apr 12, 07) provides a primer for making sure green-friendly and CSR businesses don't go the way of Pets.com, ChickClick and Feed Magazine.
"Big Box Retailers See Green As Eco-Consciousness Grows" (Orlando Sentinel, Apr 20, 07) reports that it's hip to be green, so consumers are snapping up so-called earth-friendly products right now. Retail industry groups insist this isn't a fad.
"In Brooklyn, Hipsters Sip 'Fair Trade' Brews" (NYT, Apr 22, 07) more or less points out that hipsters are not reading the Economist and examining whether pricier fair trade goods actually direct the money to places where it will matter.
"Does Green Mean Business?" (Ideal Bite, May 7, 07) argues for the benefits of a green MBA. (One thing I wish they had done -- explained the difference between an environmental MBA, like the one my grad school alma mater used to offer, versus this.)
"What a Real, Living, Durable Economy Looks Like" (Powells Books) is Bill McKibben's essay arguing for more local work on sustainable, socially-responsible business practices.
And finally, three sites worth visiting regularly: Jon Entine, business ethics writer; the Ethicurean, a weblog that covers the business of sustainable agriculture and ethical food; Sustainable Industries, a business journal focused on making money in green sectors.
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