M&S Shell Foundation

M&S Shell Foundation

Marks & Spencer’s Partnership with The Shell Foundation

Businesses have a big role to play in development and that engaging with small suppliers in the developing world can be a win-win: good for business while helping to eradicate poverty."

Kurt HoffmanDirector of the Shell Foundation

Marks & Spencer and the charity, Shell Foundation, have formed a partnership to set up a new type of supply chain in Africa and other developing countries with the aim of creating job security and eliminating poverty. The partnership will invest in up to three supply chains in the developing world in order to facilitate the delivering of products to Marks & Spencer stores, while also helping to alleviate poverty and protect the environment.

Processes

Research conducted by TNS for Marks & Spencer shows that over 80 per cent of people believe that the best way for businesses to help Africa is for them to improve long term trade links rather than donate money to charitable causes. Nearly 60 per cent of people believe that British businesses are not yet doing enough to help African countries out of poverty.

Marks & Spencer and Shell Foundation employees give advice and expertise to the flower growers to help them run their businesses more efficiently and profitably. At the same time, the growers receive support on how to manage their local environment, one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world and the area from where the flowers are harvested.

The Shell Foundation will invest up to $1 million each year to support this work.
The project has helped to improve the lives of more than 3,000 South African wild flower growers living in poverty on the Agulhas Plain, where unemployment is as high as 80%.

Impact

  • Marks & Spencer now has reliable access to good quality ‘exotic’ flowers that are produced sustainably.
  • The pilot programme has been developed in partnership with Shell Foundation, demonstrating effective collaboration between companies.
  • Shell Foundation will continue to invest up to US$1 million per year in the pilot and Marks & Spencer has listed “Develop and launch more projects with the Shell Foundation” as one of their eleven targets for 2006/2007.

See also

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