via Financial Times, by Ross Tieman, 22/6/11

The procurement policies of multinational companies can shape the prosperity of communities, regions and nations. Many are now trying to use their purchasing power to combat poverty, but the task is complex. Demand is only half the equation. In emerging economies, they have also to nurture capacity among small farmers and entrepreneurs even as they offer them a market. When they succeed, the effects can be striking. Five years ago, Heineken International set out to procure rice locally for Bralima Breweries, a subsidiary in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In partnership with the European Co-operative for Rural Development (Eucord) a Brussels-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), and the Schokland Fund, backed by the Netherlands government, Heineken promoted rice production in abandoned paddies along the River Congo. The project provided seeds, advice, boats to collect the harvest and even bicycles to transport the sacks to the jetties.

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