CSRAméricas 2012, the region’s leading annual event on corporate social responsibility, opened this week in Quito, Ecuador.
The inauguration was attended by Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and Inter-American Development Bank President Luis Alberto Moreno, who called on firms to adopt innovative means for including disadvantaged people in the workforce and making them partners across the value chain.
Moreno also stressed the importance of innovation for developing growth models that do not rely on the intensive use of natural resources.
CSRAméricas, which is organized by the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), a member of the IDB Group, this year focuses on the theme Value Chains and Skills: Opportunities for Impact.
The event highlights strategies for integrating small-scale distributors and suppliers into agricultural value chains and on investments that companies can make in improving job skills as an important way to promote sustainable and inclusive business development.
"At the IDB we believe that finding innovative approaches in the region that are comprehensive and effective in combating poverty and promoting equitable growth, and which are sustainable and competitive, requires the combined efforts of many actors," said Moreno.
"With support from the MIF and our Office of Outreach and Partnerships, we work with companies that share a vision and sense of responsibility for meeting the challenges of continued expansion of access to services and products."
The event has attracted more than 700 business leaders from over 30 countries. Panelists include executives from Coca-Cola, Telefónica, Odebrecht, Nestlé, DHL, Cemex, Pepsico, Arcos Dorados, and many other companies.
