What constitutes sustainability in business? What are the key elements that must be present in order for a business venture to be sustainable and stay that way?
I found a good Wall Street Journal article that describes the benefits to farmers in India when they make a concerted effort to convert to and stick with organic farming to achieve certification. Clearly, according to the article, farmers indicate that they are better off producing their crops without pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Additionally, they seem to be making more money as yields are up, less is lost to harsh conditions and prices are higher. If they can get past the big expense of certification ($2000 annually!!), they have a good chance at success. Bravo!!
A big caveat for me is who is profiting the most from this? There is no mention of any fair trade element, so one can only imagine a fat cat middleman skimming off the top (sorry for the pessimism)! Additionally, the certification expense is HUGE and there seems to be no financial assistance coming from anyone or anywhere. Perhaps a scale for farmers that gets them certified for less in the first year and then builds up until they are self-sufficient? I would posit that the certifiers and the government could work out a deal that they could afford and that creates a win-win situation. Perhaps they could form community support groups for those who endeavor to grow organically, but must overcome serious barriers?
Bottom line is, sustainability must be a group effort. We are all in this together and our success is dependent upon working together and sharing ideas and experiences as well as some of the elbow grease!
What do you think?
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