Forbes on Shared Value: How Businesses Can Benefit

In the post, titled "Why Social Change is Good for Business," Forbes contributor Paul Klein interviews FSG’s Mark Kramer in order to shed light on exactly how social change can translate into business value. He points to FSG’s work with cocoa farmers in the Côte d’Ivoire as a prime example of shared value success.   "A good illustration is the work FSG has done with cocoa farmers in the Côte d’Ivoire that has helped increase yield by 300%. This is helping local people send their kids to school, access health care, and continue to grow crops on the same land without having to de-forest and to move to new land. It’s also creating significant benefits for chocolate companies who do business in the country...50% of the world’s chocolate comes from Côte d’Ivoire and, because it’s a very fragile crop, price can fluctuate hugely. A better yield helps to stabilize prices and results in significant business benefit," says Kramer.   Read the full post here: “Why Social Change Is Good for Business”     Forbes contributor Steve Denning has a slightly different take on shared value. He poses the question of whether or not Kramer’s concept of shared value can “fix” innovation. In the end, he calls for a more radical approach. What do you think? Read the full article and post your comments here: "Is ‘Shared Value’ A New Mental Model for Innovation?".   FSG21420