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In This Issue
Editor's Note
Antibiotics in the Meat Industry
For years, the meat industry has administered antibiotics to treat sick animals or prevent infections, and antibiotics have also been used to grow animals faster and compensate for overcrowded or unsanitary conditions on farms.
Recently, experts have identified a link between the misuse and overuse of antibiotics in food animals and the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. In 2006, the European Union banned the use of antibiotics for growth-promotion purposes, and this year, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued new voluntary guidelines on the use of antibiotics in food animals.
This week, BSR’s Roger McElrath explores how the industry is responding to growing concerns about this issue and suggests ways that business can address it.
Also this week, we examine two cases that highlight the importance of community engagement: The first looks at how a community-engagement approach can help Chinese companies investing in Africa, and the second examines how community engagement can help the travel and tourism industry make progress on sustainability goals.
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In Depth
The Case for the Responsible Use of Antibiotics in Food-Producing Animals
By Roger McElrath, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR
The misuse and overuse of antibiotics in the meat industry is contributing to the growth of antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria—an issue that is affecting the buying decisions of a growing number of consumers. How should the industry address the issue?
Read more →
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Spotlight
Investing in Africa: Chinese Companies and Sustainable Development
By
At the Asia Society's "Chinese Investment in Africa" panel in Hong Kong, academics and journalists gathered to discuss the road ahead for Chinese companies looking to do business in Africa. I came away with two main reflections:
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Chinese investment in Africa is taking place on an unprecedented scale and is focused on extracting raw materials and natural resources. This is happening without concurrent, long-term investments in infrastructure and development needs that have been identified by the community.
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Concerned with "classic" economic growth, many African governments are failing to represent their people's development needs, and unless Chinese enterprises do focus on them, tensions may rise in local communities—as they already have in Zambia.
Western companies have been investing in Africa for more than a century with similar patterns, but they have had a head start on developing local engagement strategies. Chinese companies, which have started investing in African nations more recently, are only beginning to consider these approaches. You can learn more about BSR's stakeholder engagement work here.
On the Record
Local Engagement in Travel and Tourism
By Stéphanie Leblanc, Communications Manager, Europe, Middle East, and Africa, BSR
Whether living in the global North or South, many people travel between May and August. The United Nations World Travel Organization estimates that there will be 450 million tourists during this period, which will contribute to the milestone of 1 billion annual international travelers in 2012. With this surge in travel, sustainability questions are critical. Although carbon emissions and environmental impacts should be a central focus, they will not be achieved without community involvement. Infrastructural development is a crucial aspect of global tourism, but without a triple-bottom-line approach, it can harm both local economic development and the ecosystems that are attracting tourists in the first place. The importance of community engagement in travel and tourism was emphasized earlier this year at a session for the Americas Summit of the World Travel and Tourism Council: "The people have to be involved. If you do not involve communities in the long term, they will not have a social memory [about conservation]." --José Koechlin, Chairman and CEO, Inkaterra (May 17, 2012) Visit BSR's Travel & Tourism industry page for more information about our work with this industry.
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