Pierre Ferrari - President and CEO, Heifer International, will deliver this plenary address entilted "Social Captial and Market Incentives - are they at odds?"
Synopsis
The world’s population tops seven billion people, and food systems are struggling. Nearly 900 million people are chronically hungry now, and with the population expected to grow to 10 billion by 2050 and current contributors—land grabs, high oil prices, biofuel development, food production and distribution failures—likely to worsen, the forecast is grim. Solutions exist, but will depend on nonprofits, government, the public, private and commercial businesses working together—collective impact, and by a market-driven strategy that includes deeply embedded social engagement. For Heifer International, it begins with smallholder farmers, especially women, who with the right tools and resources grow more and better crops, raise more and better animals, and at the same time build wealth and opportunity through greater access to value chains. These same women and smallholder farmers build community, too, as economic growth for its own sake is not a solution. For economic growth to make lasting change, there has to be community development—the highest form of pro-poor development.
