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In This Issue
Editor's Note
Responsible Growth in Latin American Agriculture
Latin America has a wealth of natural resources that present unique opportunities for a number of industries, including agriculture, extractives, and health care, which has led to strong economic growth in the region. At the same time, the benefits of this growth have not been distributed evenly, and the threats of environmental degradation, decline in biodiversity, and the exclusion of local communities are very real.
This week, in an interview conducted by Linda Hwang, BSR Research Manager, we hear from BSR Advisory Services Manager Ryan Flaherty, who discusses the opportunities in the Latin American agricultural sector to build responsible businesses and invest in sustainable resource management. Ryan lays out the trends that have “create[d] the ‘perfect storm’ of growth” in Latin America and the natural and community resources that must be included in agricultural companies’ strategies for sustainable business going forward.
We also share recommendations for companies on how to sustain their factory-based programs for worker well-being when formal NGO support comes to an end. And we highlight how the true value of water is reflected in its increasing cost across U.S. cities.
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In Depth
Doing Responsible Business in Latin America: Opportunities in the Agriculture Sector
By Ryan Flaherty, Manager, Advisory Services, BSR
With Rio+20 around the corner, the world's attention is shifting to Brazil and other countries in Latin America. What are the regional nuances that can affect business' challenges and opportunities for expansion?
Read more →
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Spotlight
Making Factory-Based Programs Last: Observations from HERproject in India
By Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services, BSR
During a recent visit to HERproject programs in Southern India, I saw firsthand the positive impact of workplace-based, peer health education. As discussed in last month's feature on Levi Strauss & Company's new supply chain management strategy, an increasing number of companies are working with their suppliers to implement programs focused on workers' well-being, which typically depend on local NGO support. When that support ends, factories who want to sustain their programs often struggle. Building on lessons from India, companies can take the following steps to ensure the successful continuation of workplace programs:
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Encourage suppliers to integrate efforts into management processes. For example, combine trainings with new-hire orientations, or hold trainings during batch settings (when the factory line switches from one product to another).
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Provide the tools or materials needed, such as training curricula, videos, and pamphlets. NGOs often consider these materials as proprietary, meaning that factories cannot keep them. Watch out for BSR's HERproject Curriculum coming next month, which will include publicly available training resources designed for factories.
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Connect the factory with existing resources, such as local health clinics, NGOs, or government services.
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Establish a core team within the factory, which could include the HR director, welfare director, and factory nurse, that is responsible for continuing the program.
Quick Hit
What’s the True Value of Water?
By
Two thousand years before Adam Smith compared water and diamonds to differentiate between two separate meanings of "value," Plato observed: "Only what is rare is valuable, and water, which is the best of all things ... is also the cheapest." Both were expressing that the market price of an item does not reflect its true value. Market price reflects the fluctuating circumstances of daily life, whether the vagaries of supply or demand, while the true value is something more basic, enduring, and stable. This true value of water has been perceived differently at varying times. With the price of water increasing faster than U.S. inflation and any other utility service, we may finally be entering an era where the market price of water more accurately reflects its true value for people and for ecosystems.
Source: J. Beecher, Institute of Public Utilities Regulatory Research and Education, MSU. March 2012.
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