Is Base of the Pyramid Mainstream? Two Sites Suggest Yes

Rob Katz — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 08:30:48 -0400

Sara’s recent post about the mainstreaming of green investment got me thinking about the mainstreaming of base of the pyramid (BOP) trends. Is it fair to use that word for such a niche hypothesis? Two projects, both with new web sites, suggest that it may be.

Enterprise for a Sustainable World and the BOP Protocol are both outgrowths of Stuart Hart’s BOP center of excellence based at Cornell University. (Full disclosure: World Resources Institute is an institutional partner in both projects.) E4SW, as the first is called, is a recently-formed non-profit group headed up by Stu to undertake “action research, education, and organizational change for corporations (as well as governments and NGOs) interested in transformation toward sustainability.” They’re not the first group to do this, but an excerpt of their mission statement leads me to believe that they might be onto something bigger and better:

We believe that leapfrogging to inherently clean technologies through disruptive business models at the base of the pyramid can enable companies to confront directly the two biggest problems facing humanity: poverty and global-scale environmental degradation. These also provide the basis for the repositioning and growth that will be needed for companies to thrive in the future.

This two-sentence excerpt effectively sums up much of Hart’s research and writing – some of which can be found in the E4SW Papers section. His staff includes NextBillion members/allies Patrick Donohue and Justin DeKoszmovszky, both of whom have a wealth of on-the-ground BOP experience. Keep an eye on these guys – they’re doing great things. (Patrick’s off to India shortly to work with Solae’s BOP project).

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Is Base of the Pyramid Mainstream? Two Sites Suggest Yes