Reyna's Social Entrepreneurship Blog

 

East Bali Cashews is a social enterprise that strives to make sustainable change and opportunities for the impoverished region of farmers in East Bali, Indonesia. The founder and traveler, Aaron Fishman felt the need to improve the quality of life of the people in rural East Bali, and began doing this by helping local farmers grow cashews. They sell food products with their cashews locally in Bali and have expanded across Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the US.  EBC impacts the local farmers in East Bali by helping them generate profits and teaching them sustainable farming techniques . Farmers are able to create income by growing cash crops and being involved in other value-adding activities, such as Village Drying Centres. The drying centres allow extra space for cashew nuts to dry, which eliminates product loss and simultaneously helps farmers make extra income.  EBC is creative and resourceful when it comes to eco-friendly energy . They use the leftover cashew ...

 Why is it so important to stay skeptical when we think of progressive businesses?  At first, progressive businesses seem like they are THE solution to social problems. They embody the ethos of “managerialism,” which is to be more socially responsible. Progressive businesses focus not only on the wellbeing of their shareholders, but their stakeholders.  Businesses can make a social impact by solving market problems, with ideas of buying and selling. However, it is the government’s responsibility to solve the market failures. Therefore, it’s impossible for progressive businesses to completely solve social issues alone. Yes, they can do great things for their employees and stakeholders, but not all citizens. I like the example given in the article about how corporations can surely provide great health insurance to their own employees, but only the state can provide adequate health care for all citizens, including those unemployed. In the end, this article is telling us to q...