BSR Insight Articles About Supply Chain

Closing the Gender Gap in Agriculture

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization released a new report on the business case for addressing gender issues in agriculture and rural employment. According to the report, women in all regions face gender-related constraints that reduce their productivity and impose real costs on society. Read more →

Posted: March 8, 2011 | Topics: Economic Development, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain, Women & Sustainability

Women and Sustainability: Integrating Women Into Your Business and Sustainability Strategies

Racheal Meiers (née Yeager), Director, HERproject

Growth in women’s income, education levels, and labor participation rates makes them essential participants in the global economy, and engagement with women and girls increasingly critical to sustainable growth for every industry. Women contribute to the private sector’s social license to operate; market, crop, and supply chain stability; a talented and stable employee base; and market growth and innovation. Additionally, investments in women have a multiplier effect, as women are more likely to reinvest in education, health, and economic activities at the community level. Read more →

Posted: March 8, 2011 | Topics: Consumer Products, Economic Development, Energy, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Information & Communications Technology, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Supply Chain, Sustainable Consumption, Transportation, Travel & Tourism, Women & Sustainability

Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Global Goods Transportation

Raj Sapru, Former Director, Advisory Services

BSR's Clean Cargo Working Group (CCWG)—a business-to-business initiative among leading shippers (retailers, manufacturers), ocean carriers, and logistics providers that creates practical tools for measuring and reducing the environmental impacts of global goods transportation—released a new report, which includes an overview of CCWG tools used for benchmarking performance, estimating average carbon dioxide emissions for global trade lanes, and understanding the environmental challenges and opportunities in the sector. Read more →

Posted: March 1, 2011 | Topics: Environment, Supply Chain, Transportation

Will Old Europe Become the New World of Sustainability in 2011?

Peder Michael Pruzan-Jorgensen, Vice President, Europe, Middle East, and Africa

European companies, government officials, and civil society representatives have tended to scoff at their American cousins’ approach to sustainability, and also at the perceived fundamental disregard for the environment and human rights in BRIC countries. But as we make our way into 2011, I sense a shift in Europe toward a more somber mood, similar to the sobriety that comes to a soccer team the day after an unexpected defeat by a mignon competitor: heads down, feet dragging, and a realization that something different has to be done. Read more →

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Topics: Climate Change, Consumer Products, Energy, Environment, Financial Services, Food, Beverage & Agriculture, Health Care, Human Rights, Information & Communications Technology, Media & Entertainment, Mining, Reporting & Communications, Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain, Transportation, Travel & Tourism

The Business Case for Water

Linda Hwang, Former Manager, Research

Last week, BSR and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development co-hosted a forum in Washington, D.C. on corporate water strategies. JPMorgan Chase's James Fuschetti delivered the event's keynote address on the business case for investing time and resources into activities linked to water stewardship. He noted that having a clear understanding of the physical water risks for global facilities and meeting local stakeholders' expectations for water use are just two benefits of a proactive water strategy. Read more →

Posted: February 7, 2011 | Topics: Strategy & Integration, Supply Chain, Water