CRO Private Board | Exploring the case of poverty reduction in Hebian Village and inspiring enterprises to participate in precision poverty alleviation

Issue 5 of the CRO Private Board Meeting: On August 31st, the fifth session of the CRO Private Board was held at the Mary Kay Building in Shanghai. Over a dozen senior executives and experts from China Agricultural University, Shanghai Association of Overseas Enterprises, UNDP, Mary Kay, Unilever, Shui On Land, Blueair, Yunda, Lai Yi, Xingshe Charitable Foundation, SynTao, Simmon heard Professor Li Xiaoyun's experience in poverty alleviation in Hebian Village and explored how companies can participate in precision poverty reduction.

At the beginning of the meeting, Prof. Li Xiaoyun shared the development background of poverty alleviation in China and analyzed the criteria for identifying poverty from different dimensions. Professor Li Xiaoyun pointed out that poverty alleviation is not a matter of pity and public welfare. It is a city that is nurturing rural areas and business is feeding back agriculture.

Prof. Li Xiaoyun hopes to take Hebian Village as an example to present a scheme of how public welfare can solve social problems and how public welfare resources can lead the government to help the poor. The model emphasizes that enterprises have operating advantages, and public welfare has organizational advantages, at the same time the government has a policy influence, and the three parties need to coordinate in poverty alleviation. At the same time, it hopes to provide examples for handling government relations, as well as relations with farmers, and corporate and nonprofit organizations.

Regarding whether companies should participate in poverty alleviation, the guests attending the meeting are all indicating that enterprises should be involved in the development of poverty alleviation areas. This is also based on the consideration of the long-term development of the company.

The participation of enterprises in precision poverty alleviation has unique advantages, such as industrial advantages, talent advantages, supply chain advantages, market advantages, capital leverage advantages, and so on. Donation is on the one hand, but it is more important to give play to the company’s superior resources and instigate the development of poor areas.

With reference to the idea of Hebian Village, enterprises involved in precision poverty alleviation need to keep the bottom line and actively respond to government mobilization. They must also emphasize effective participation and superior participation. Companies need to be plan providers, not just donate money. The company’s money should be used at the most critical point and be a demonstration. Then the government will use policy influence and financial support to scale the solution.

After heated discussions in this private board of directors, representatives of participating companies made it clear that the participation of precision poverty alleviation needs to be considered in the overall situation of promoting sustainable economic development.Enterprises should instigate the participation of relevant party resources in the role of solution providers and demonstrators.

We expect that under this line of thinking, companies will be able to introduce more effective and beneficial solutions to effectively meet the development needs of the poor areas.