Center for Social Innovation (CSI): Change lives. Change organizations. Change the world.

Responsible Supply Chains Conference

Co-sponsored by the Global Supply Chain Management Forum and the Center for Social Innovation at the Stanford Graduate School of Business, the Responsible Supply Chain Conference brings together corporate and nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and academics to share best practices for creating sustainable supply chains.

When Corporate Responsibility Means Going Local

[photo - Abhijit Upadhye]

McDonald's has migrated to India, and with it, a commitment to corporate social responsibility. In this university podcast, executive Abhijit Upadhye discusses how the introduction of the "golden arches" into the subcontinent over the past six years has resulted in the creation of local opportunities in the areas of agriculture and food production, storage, and transportation.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Disaster Response: Lessons Learned from Haiti

[photo - Paul Auerbach]

When disaster strikes somewhere in the world, what kind of leadership, nonprofit management, and supply chain expertise are needed? In this university podcast, Stanford professor of surgery, Paul Auerbach, shares lessons learned from the Stanford Emergency Medicine rapid response team's deployment in Haiti after the January 2010 earthquake. His experiences provide a glimpse in to how relevant groups may prepare themselves to better assist in future global catastrophes.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Social Enterprise in Food Supply Chains

In the arena of social enterprise, a California collaboration is creating a high yield. In this university podcast, executives Diane Del Signore and Maisie Greenwalt share how Community Alliance with Family Farmers and Bon Appétit Management Company have partnered to create a local distribution system to get locally grown products into institutional settings. They also talk about efforts to help farmers become more organic.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Environmental Sustainability in Supply Chains

How can a company put environmental sustainability into its DNA? In this university podcast, Joao Paulo Ferreira, VP of operations and logistics, talks about Natura Cosmetics Brasil's supply chain and its challenges to embed sustainability concepts into the way it is designed and operated. He discusses the company's culture of collaboration with indigenous communities, NGOs, and other organizations.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Corporate Social Responsibility with Cotton Farms

With corporate social responsibility as a business imperative, Levi Strauss has evaluated how well its suppliers are doing on making cotton production more sustainable. In this university podcast, executive Michael Kobori discusses the company's efforts to support organic cotton farming that reduces water use and relies less on child labor, particularly in Uzbekistan.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Corporate Social Responsibility in Supply Chains

For Nike, corporate social responsibility has become a business driver rather than an obligation. In this university podcast, Nike's director of global logistics, Dawn Vance, talks about how the company is integrating performance, innovation, and sustainability throughout the entire supply chain. She also shares new efforts to provide a "closed loop" business model in which products can be reclaimed and reused at the end of their functional life.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Improving Healthcare Distribution in Africa

[photo - The Colemans]

In the late 1980s, when Barry and Andrea Coleman noticed that motor bikes intended for use in the delivery of health care in Africa were not being used because they had broken down -- in some cases needing mere $3 oil filters -- they knew they had to put their own pedal to the metal. Speaking at the 2009 Responsible Supply Chains Conference at Stanford, they share some of the successes and challenges associated with running Riders for Health, which administers vehicles to keep health supplies flowing efficiently throughout the continent.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Boosting Profits through Social Responsibility

[photo - Hau Lee]

Companies can indeed make money while operating in socially responsible and environmentally friendly ways. It just takes what supply chain expert Hau Lee calls the Triple-A approach--having agility, adaptability, and alignment. Closing the Stanford 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, Lee describes how small to mid-sized companies in China, India, and Israel boosted profits while shrinking waste and pollution and providing a fair workplace for employees.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Strategies for Improving Product Safety

Not a week goes by without a product safety incident splashed across the headlines. As companies face increasing layers of suppliers, the task of monitoring the many links in the chain becomes a formidable challenge. The situation is particularly troubling for social entrepreneurs, who are especially vulnerable. In this panel discussion from the 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, executives who have experienced product safety challenges share what they have done to address these challenges head on.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Gap's Progress on Corporate Social Responsibility

[photo - Dan Henkle]

The Gap monitors 2,000 garment factories in 50 countries and conducts about 4,000 inspections annually to make sure its suppliers are operating under ethical guidelines. Dan Henkle, the executive who oversees this inspection process, as well as the company's community investment and environmental affairs efforts, outlines The Gap's corporate responsibility programs in this audio lecture recorded at the 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Fresh Approaches to Supply Chain Practices

How does an organization not only promote green and sustainable products but also conduct business in a socially responsible way? At the Stanford 2008 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, leaders of three pioneering enterprises talk in a panel discussion about how they integrate fair trade, sustainable design, green purchasing, and public/private partnerships into every aspect of their business. They offer advice for other organizations and share how they are working to promote social responsibility in their respective industries.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Doing Well and Doing Good in the Supply Chain

[photo - Gary Smith]

Timberland, the footwear and apparel company headquartered in New Hampshire, is putting good old New England values to work to integrate socially responsible management practices throughout the value chain. Speaking at Stanford during the 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, Gary Smith demonstrates in this audio lecture how in the more than 35 countries where his firm has a business presence, doing good does not have to be at odds with doing well.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Social and Environmental Responsibility at HP

[photo - Tony Prophet]

With energy costs on the rise and the U.S. government expected to push for reduced carbon emissions, environmental sustainability has become a market imperative for Hewlett-Packard. Speaking at Stanford for the 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, HP's senior VP of personal systems, Tony Prophet, shares how his company is working to reduce its environmental footprint throughout the product life cycle.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Promoting Sustainability in the Coffee Industry

[photo - Willard (Dub) Hay]

Starbucks has developed guidelines for creating and maintaining a sustainable supply chain, which it calls Coffee and Farmer Equity (C.A.F.E.) Practices. These coffee-buying guidelines help the company establish equitable relationships with farmers, workers, and communities. In this audio lecture recorded at Stanford during the 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, Willard Hay explores what's making C.A.F.E. Practices successful.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

Inspiring Environmentally Friendly Supply Chains

[photo - Dean Edwards]

Environmental sustainability is now an imperative for supply chains, and buyers and procurement professionals have more power than ever to exert pressure on suppliers to provide green products. Businesses are also partnering with government and nonprofits to create change in this arena. How do you communicate with suppliers on environmental innovation? At the Stanford 2007 Responsible Supply Chains Conference, executives from an HMO, a government agency, and an entrepreneurial company share successes in greening the supply chains.

You are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.

about this podcast

Presented to you by Kriss Deiglmeier and Eric Nee, Social Innovation Conversations shares the voices of the people at the forefront of creating social and environmental change in the world. This podcast is the labor of love of a dedicated team of talented volunteers.

audio for your website

Choose your Widget