Ethical.business

Africa's imposing baobab trees thrive in harsh conditions and can live for more than a thousand years. Its vitamin and fiber-rich fruits - in powder form - are being consumed more and more frequently in Europe and the USA. But baobab has not yet made its big market breakthrough.

An international consortium is helping Serbia to expand renewable energies. The promoters expect a first breakthrough from the development of a biomass market. The Austrian Development Agency ADA is supporting the project in the pilot phase.

Even if tourism is going through tough times, sooner or later the travel engine will kick in again. Industry experts expect that travelers will pay more attention to sustainability when making bookings in the future. This is not the only reason why the global hotel industry should seriously consider the issue.

The Austrian Development Agency advances the private sector in developing countries with business partnerships. The funding instrument was used for years to support Austrian companies in particular in poor markets. Now they also want to test new things, as an Africa project by Ashoka Austria shows.

Only every third company in the EU currently carefully checks its global suppliers with a view to decent working conditions and compliance with environmental standards. However, human rights and environmental due diligence are not only coming to the fore on the political agenda, but also in companies.

In order to limit global warming to a maximum of 1,5 degrees, climate scientists are calling for a radical carbon diet for the planet - and climate neutrality by 2050. For companies, that means not only getting better when it comes to climate protection, but actually good enough.

The Tyrolean hearing implant manufacturer MED-EL Medical Electronics supports institutions in Bangladesh and the Ivory Coast in developing a wide range of products in the field of hearing health. The Austrian Development Agency is funding the project.

In many developing countries, social enterprises take on essential tasks in providing basic services. In the spring, the Covid Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs was formed to carry these important players through the corona crisis.

With the support of the Austrian Development Agency, the manufacturer of cleaning agents and disinfectants, Calvatis, has demonstrated that innovative hygiene management in poultry and pig breeding gives farmers in Brazil a significantly higher income. The medium-sized company has thus taken an important first step into a huge new market.

In the crisis year 2020, numerous companies are taking the opportunity to demonstrate a sense of responsibility. In doing so, they use different paths and approaches.