Business & International Development

The Business & International Development workstream, led by Jane Nelson, is focused on company-led partnerships and inclusive business models that aim to promote growth in developing countries and support the achievement of national and local development objectives. This engagement is taking place through core business activities, traditional philanthropy, and multi-stakeholder alliances. As multi-stakeholder alliances often cross multiple sectors and are relatively new, few have been subject to rigorous analysis and evaluation of the sort that CRI's research seeks to elicit. Current areas of focus include new models of development partnerships at national, regional and community-level; local economic empowerment and enterprise development; sustainable agriculture and rural livelihoods; strengthening health systems and nutrition in developing countries; rebuilding economies and resilience after natural disasters; building human capital, with a focus on youth and women's empowerment; and investing in the food-energy-water nexus.

Relevant recent publications include:

Sumitomo Chemical and the Fight Against Malaria Using Bednets: A Case Study. Christina Gradl | July 2013 | CRI Report No. 52

Project Nurture: Partnering for Business Opportunity and Development Impact. Beth Jenkins and Lorin Fries | May 2013 | CRI Report No. 51

Building a Strategic Alliance for the Fortification of Oil and Other Staple Foods (SAFO): A Case Study. Christina Gradl | May 2012 | CRI Report No. 49

Mobilizing the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania: A Case Study. Beth Jenkins | May 2012 | CRI Report No. 48

Tackling Barriers to Scale: From Inclusive Business Models to Inclusive Business Ecosystems. Christina Gradl and Beth Jenkins | September 2011 | CRI Report No. 47