In This Issue
Editor's Note
The Future of Business-NGO Relationships
This week, in her new role as BSR’s Director of Stakeholder Collaboration, Ayesha Barenblat provides her assessment of the five main trends currently shaping NGOs—from the rise of the global South to the social network effect—and how these changes will affect the relationship between business and civil society.
In a future edition of the Insight, Barenblat will report on how stakeholder engagement approaches need to evolve in light of these developments.
Next, we hear from Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn—who will be speaking at the BSR Conference 2011—on how engaged employees are his company's most valuable assets, especially when it comes to sustainability initiatives.
Finally, we highlight recommendations from a recent UN report on how to reduce food waste and loss.
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In Depth
The Future of Business-NGO Relationships
By
In the next decade, there will be growing opportunities for business and civil society to work together on issues related to sustainability. BSR’s new Director of Stakeholder Collaboration outlines five trends shaping NGOs today, and what those mean for businesses working with these organizations.
Read more →
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On the Record
Best Buy CEO on the Power of Engaged Employees
Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn—a plenary speaker at the BSR Conference 2011—believes inspired and engaged employees are Best Buy’s most valuable assets, especially when it comes to sustainability initiatives. "We're leveraging our people as our competitive advantage," he said during a recent keynote speech at the Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship Conference. Dunn encourages executives to:
" … Get engaged with your people pulling the wagon because you will learn what their hopes and what their dreams are, what they care about, what you're doing well, and what you're not. You have to fight that totally human characteristic of executives to explain everything with a logical explanation of why we can't do this or that. Shed that skin and flip your paradigm to how can we get that done."
—Brian Dunn, CEO, Best Buy (April 11, 2011)
Toolbox
Preventing Food Loss and Waste
By Elissa Goldenberg, Associate, Advisory Services, BSR
According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization’s recent report, nearly one third or 1.3 billion tons of food produced for human consumption every year is lost or wasted. This report identifies the causes of food waste and loss, assesses their magnitude, and provides ways to prevent them.
Recommendations for business include:
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Invest in better transportation and storage infrastructure to prevent post-harvest food spoilage.
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Develop markets for sub-standard products that are still safe, taste good, and have nutritional value.
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Create marketing cooperatives—a central point to collect produce from small-scale farmers and prepare it for transportation or distribution—to improve the efficiency of getting food to markets.
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Support government efforts to create incentives for the private sector to invest in the food industry and work more closely with farmers on supply challenges.
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