Base of the Pyramid

Did you know?

• If current trends continue, several (if not all) of the UN's Millennium Development Goals will not be met by 2030, this is largely because of slow progress in Southern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa
• About 1.4 billion people globally live at or below the poverty line of US$1.25/day
• The 4 billion people living on less than US$3000/year represent a multi-trillion euro market

Sustainable Business at the Base of the Pyramid

Many so-called ‘Base of the Pyramid' (Bop) initiatives by companies focus on the provision of essential products and services, new jobs and economic opportunities to the poor, thereby contributing to the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Although BoP is a relatively new concept, many such projects are already in progress across developing and transitional economies. To improve the development benefits and to expand base of the pyramid projects CSR Europe, IMS-Entreprendre pour la Cité, Groupe Danone, Microsoft, Unilever and Vodafone launched this Laboratory identifying potential synergies between companies and other public and private actors.   

Get Equipped

Creating Wealth and Value at the Base of the Pyramid (PDF)

This working paper explains the concepts and operations of BoP while exploring potential synergies between these initiatives and the European Commission's DG Development. A compendium of best practices is also included to support the working paper's recommendations.

Get Engaged in 2009

Meeting with CSR Europe members and the European Commission, April/May 2009

On 13 November, CSR Europe's President, Viscount Davignon and some corporate representatives from the Base of the Pyramid Laboratory met with Louis Michel, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid to discuss the role of the EU in future activities of the Base of the Pyramid Laboratory. During this meeting, Louis Michel offered to mobilise local Heads of the EC Delegations for a meeting in early 2009 with companies/organisations to discuss their role in potentially engaging in Base of the Pyramid activities. If you are a corporate member of CSR Europe and would like to engage, we are asking that you complete this simple template that can be downloaded here and return it to Jan Noterdaeme (jn@csreurope.org) no later than Friday, 20 March 2009.

See Also . . .

• Over 100 company solutions on Mainstreaming CSR in our CSR solutions database
• Over 100 company solutions on innovative Business Partnerships in our CSR solutions database
• More information about the CSR Laboratory on Sustainable Business at the Base of the Pyramid

Laboratory Leaders and Facilitators