Publications

Web

Request more information | HBS Courses | HBS Online

Aerospace/Defense Agriculture Auto Communications E-Commerce E-Education Energy Entertainment Financial Services Food/Beverage Health/Medical Hospitality Insurance Manufacturing Non-Profit Pharmaceuticals Professional Services Retail... View Details

25 Jan 2021
Working Paper Summaries

India’s Food Supply Chain During the Pandemic

Keywords: by Matt Lowe, G V Nadhanael, and Benjamin N. Roth; Agriculture & Agribusiness; Agriculture & Agribusiness

Profile

Bridgette Slater

adventure. Also, over the course of my years in consulting, I developed a concrete vision of the work I wanted to pursue – something along the lines of ethical sourcing of agricultural products, namely chocolate, coffee, and tea – and... View Details

December 2011 (Revised November 2012)
Case

Sustainable Tea at Unilever

By: Rebecca M. Henderson and Frederik Nellemann

Unilever's Lipton Tea had been successful with the first phase of its certification partnership with Rainforest Alliance. Now the company faced challenges in how to push forward with the transformation of more difficult parts of the supply chain and how to market... View Details

Keywords: Environmental Sustainability; Corporate Social Responsibility and Impact; Marketing; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

14 Sep 2023
Blog Post

MBAs Accelerate Their Social Enterprise Ventures

solar-powered irrigation for Indian farmers. While solar irrigation can reduce agricultural production costs by up to 25% and eliminate 132M tons of CO2 emissions annually, upfront costs remain a barrier. Solara aims to make ownership... View Details

08 Mar 2022
Blog Post

Recalling My First Cold Call: A Conversation with Second-Year Students

broad and diverse the world is and how although all these industries are different, great leadership skills are needed for all. LUCIA CUNEO (MBA 2022) Cuneo is a part of the Women’s Student Association, Latin American Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Food and View Details

31 Jan 2018
Research & Ideas

American Idle: Workers Spend Too Much Time Waiting for Something to Do

representative sample of 1,003 people across 29 occupations—including lawyers, managers, agricultural workers, and soldiers. They found that 78 percent of employees reported experiencing some kind of idle time. Moreover, in every one of... View Details

Keywords: by Michael Blanding

20 Oct 2010
Op-Ed

Export Competitiveness: Reversing the Logic

Foreign investment introduced capital and provided jobs for people previously occupied in agriculture. At an aggregate level, capital intensity rose, productivity grew, and prosperity improved, and poverty levels dropped dramatically. With close to half of the working... View Details

Keywords: by Christian Ketels

May 2016
Case

Seaside Organics

By: Howard H. Stevenson and Alisa Zalosh

This case follows Sara Norton, a soccer player-turned-serial entrepreneur, as she transforms Seaside Organics from a fledgling startup into an $89 million company. Informed by the successes and failures of her first organics venture, WellBar, Norton tries to balance... View Details

Keywords: Business Growth and Maturation; Organizational Structure; Personal Development and Career; Entrepreneurship; Personal Characteristics; Business Startups; Business Strategy; Conflict and Resolution; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

27 Sep 2021
Blog Post

Working to Change the Food System

dedicate my time and energies toward. This year you’ll be co-president of the Food, Agriculture, and Water Club. What motivated you to pursue this role? What goals do you have as co-president? I think to the broader HBS population, careers today in food and View Details

21 Nov 2018
Blog Post

Harvard Square's Hidden History

served Newtowne (Cambridge’s name at founding). It was the primary center of commerce for the towns surrounding present-day Harvard Square, including much of the agricultural activity that took place on and near what is now HBS’s campus. ... View Details

November 1991 (Revised October 1995)
Case

Calyx & Corolla

By: Walter J. Salmon and David Wylie

Describes a new entry into the $8 billion flower industry in the United States. Combining the use of overnight air freight (Federal Express), information technology, an 800 number, and a catalog, Calyx & Corolla was changing the way flowers had traditionally been... View Details

Keywords: Market Entry and Exit; Transformation; Distribution Channels; Business Startups; Problems and Challenges; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; United States

May 2000 (Revised May 2001)
Case

Debt Policy at UST Inc.

UST, Inc. is a very profitable smokeless tobacco firm with low debt compared to other firms in the tobacco industry. The setting for the case is UST's recent decision to substantially alter its debt policy by borrowing $1 billion to finance its stock repurchase... View Details

Keywords: Capital Structure; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

07 Jan 2002
Research & Ideas

How Marketing Can Reduce Worldwide Poverty

approaching them. Somebody might approach a poor subsistence farmer in Uganda to say, "We want to give you some agricultural aid. We want to give you a loan." There again, why is advocacy important? Because even in that case,... View Details

Keywords: by Martha Lagace

February 1985 (Revised September 1988)
Case

Komatsu Ltd.

By: Christopher A. Bartlett

Reviews and updates the structure and characteristics of the earth-moving equipment industry presented in the companion case, Caterpillar Tractor Co. After revealing that CAT has suffered major financial losses during the period from 1981 through 1984, the case... View Details

Keywords: Financial Crisis; Machinery and Machining; Price; Growth and Development; Brands and Branding; Product Development; Production; Competitive Strategy; Global Strategy; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry

Web

Electricity - Business & Environment

Ecometano/MDCPAR “Our goal is to provide our corporate clients in Brazil with cost efficient low carbon energy solutions. Ecometano has pioneered the upgrading of high BTU biogas from landfills and other biomass to energy solutions in the Brazilian View Details

11 Apr 2023
Blog Post

BTG Bioliquids: Creating Fast Pyrolysis Bio-Oil from Biomass Residue Streams

human consumption, such as food production, or used for energy production instead. BTG Bioliquids uses wood instead of livestock derivative products, and avoids deforestation concerns by relying on second generation biomass residues such as woody crops and View Details

November 2008 (Revised October 2012)
Case

Nestle

By: David E. Bell and Mary Louise Shelman

In April 2008, Paul Bulcke took over as CEO of the world's largest food and beverage company. His predecessor, Peter Brabeck, had delivered 12 years of outstanding results while moving the company toward a new vision of health, nutrition, and wellness. Bulcke's... View Details

Keywords: Globalized Firms and Management; Globalized Markets and Industries; Leadership Style; Growth and Development Strategy; Brands and Branding; Organizational Culture; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry