I’m typically skeptical of development agencies’ efforts to stimulate business solutions to poverty. When it comes to the Growing Sustainable Business (GSB) initiative of the UN Development Program, however, perhaps my skepticism is mislaid. According to their web site,

The Growing Sustainable Business initiative facilitates business-led enterprise solutions to poverty in advancement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). These enterprise solutions accelerate and sustain access to needed goods/services and livelihoods opportunities.

Typical development wonk-speak? The web site’s full of it, but careful reading reveals that the GSB has been able to facilitate tens of millions of dollars in private investment for sectors ranging from rural electrification to food franchising to telecom.

Special brokers help facilitate these investments, and the initiative offers market research, business model development, financing, and implementation support. Pretty practical stuff – and it seems to be working.

This post is part 4 of a 5 part series.

A.H: Why start these funds? What were your motivations?

K.H.: The Foundation was designed to focus on social issues that relate to Shell’s business; namely, energy and the environment, and energy and poverty. Both Chris West (Deputy Director) and I have development backgrounds, so we were both naturally inclined to look at some of the more fundamental needs.