From CSR Programs to Strategic Corporate Impact: A Virtual Reality Experience to Transform Supply Chains in Ghana

Wednesday, 17 January, 2024, 15:30-17:00 CET

How can a company like AAK move from CSR projects to sustainable supply chain models?

How can they utilize ESG requirements to create sustainable impact at scale at origin?

Above and beyond profit, consumers today expect businesses to contribute to societal well-being and embody responsible commercial conduct. Most businesses tackle this expectation by investing in CSR programs. In this workshop, we explore how businesses can pursue societal and commercial goals through a virtual reality experience based on Kolo Nafaso’s CSR program for better shea sourcing, and see how the joint pursuit of societal and commercial goals can create a competitive advantage.

The Shea Seeds virtual reality experience will send participants on an immersive visit to rural Ghana, where shea collectors (women earning <$1.00/day) live and work. Participants will delve into the perspective of AAK, the largest buyer of raw shea in the world, as they identify the challenges the shea collectors face and explore an initial CSR program to impact shea collectors’ lives. Participants will confront how AAK can escape from the shackles of time-bound projects and limited CSR budgets as well as how they can successfully embed societal outcomes in the value chain to create sustainable impact at scale.

Introduced by Francisco Veloso, Dean, INSEAD, France

Moderated by Katell Le Goulven, Executive Director, Hoffmann Institute, INSEAD, France

With 

Amitava Chattopadhyay, Professor of Corporate Innovation and Marketing, INSEAD, France

Johan Westman, President and CEO, AAK, Sweden