Inclusive businesses (IBs) resonate with policymakers seeking to leverage private capital in support of poverty alleviation and sustainable development. In the agri-food sector, which represents the largest segment of the base-of-the-pyramid (BOP) market and a key source of livelihood for the rural poor, there is limited evidence on their diversity and social value creation mechanisms. This prevents practitioners from identifying impactful IB types and design features. A statistical analysis of 46 cases in Tanzania and Ghana identified four IB types: (1) self-reliant agribusinesses, (2) domestic plantation companies, (3) social enterprises, and (4) locally-embedded Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Our findings suggest that socially-driven and localized IBs hold high impact potential but require significant external support, while more self-sufficient IBs adopt less socially innovative designs. This study demonstrates the utility of a data-driven approach to capture the complexity of real-world IBs, which yielded practical insights for more effective poverty alleviation through business means.
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DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.314Altmetric score:
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Publication year
2024
Authors
Weng, X.; Schoneveld, G.C.; Pokorny, B.; Mutayoba, G.; Fold, N.; Gallagher, E.J.; Ezekiel, E.; van der Haar, S.
Language
English
Keywords
business models, livelihoods, rural development, rural community, agricultural production, agribusiness, agroindustrial sector
Geographic
Tanzania, Ghana
