understand the corporate social responsibility strategy, cross-sector collaboration and its alignment with the requirements of people, communities or a region;
apply CSR-funded climate-smart interventions in promoting farmer livelihoods and mapping these interventions with farmer livelihood outcomes, and Sustainable Development Goals;
analyse the commodity value chain actors and functions and identify the opportunities for the farmer-producer company to create, deliver, and capture value along the value chain;
evaluate the expansion of climate-smart interventions vis-à-vis the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the producer enterprise for business expansion and farmer livelihoods; and
create a business model for the producer company by illustrating its value proposition, value turnover and value generation metrics.
Radhika Srihari Rao, Corporate Brand and Social Responsibility head at Tesco India, was reviewing AgriNext’s annual reports – the project aimed to promote climate-resilient agriculture and improve farmer livelihoods in southern India. AgriNext has implemented several climate-smart technologies and practices, including community solar irrigation, solar-powered hydroponic fodder stations and an integrated farming system. It demonstrated increased crop yields and acreages, as well as additional incomes for beneficiary farmers. However, the institutional capacity development of Girinadu farmer-producer company and its value chain upgrading remain unfinished tasks for Radhika. She is in a dilemma over whether to scale up climate-smart interventions or strengthen the producer enterprise’s capacity and formalise its business model to create, deliver and capture value in agri-commodity value chains. The learning outcomes of the case for MBA students and executives are to align the CSR strategy with farmer livelihood pathways, their enterprise development and regional development. The case can stimulate participants to establish linkages between Tesco India’s CSR strategy, climate-smart interventions for farmer livelihood outcomes and the attainable Sustainable Development Goals.
This case can be used in MBA programs in Food and Agribusiness Management and Business Sustainability. This case could be used in an elective course on Contemporary Strategies in Food and Agribusiness. The case can also be taught in an elective course on Agribusiness Value Chains, emphasising the role of corporate social responsibility funds in agri-enterprise development and climate change adaptation and mitigation. This case is suitable for discussing climate-smart agriculture technologies and practices as part of sustainable agriculture. It can also be used in short-term management development programs or Executive Education as part of the Sustainable Livelihood Strategy in Agribusiness Management. The case setting is a developing country in Southeast Asia, with a focus on achieving several Sustainable Development Goals through climate-smart interventions, promoting sustainable livelihoods for farmers and strengthening farmers’ institutions.
CSS4: Environmental Management.
