Publications

Web

Faculty & Research

"Using Satellites and Phones to Evaluate and Promote Agricultural Technology Adoption: Evidence from Smallholder Farms in India." Journal of Development Economics 176 (September 2025). How the Busiest People... View Details

March 2017
Teaching Plan

The Maine Food Cluster Project

By: Karen Mills

The case introduces Craig Denekas, the head of the Libra Foundation, an unusual, private foundation based in Maine, which owns three locally based food companies. Denekas has initiated a project to explore how to grow the food sector in Maine, benefiting not only... View Details

Keywords: Maine; Clusters; Libra Foundation; Locally-based Companies; Food Industry; Development Economics; Industry Clusters; Food; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Maine

Article

China Gambles on Modernizing Through Urbanization

By: Kristen Looney and Meg Rithmire

Contemporary discussions of urbanization and urban construction in China tend to focus on “ghost towns” on the one hand or urbanization as China’s silver bullet to growth and reform on the other. In this paper, we detail what China calls its “New Urbanization Policy.”... View Details

Keywords: Urban Development; Development Economics; Problems and Challenges; China

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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

Program

Agribusiness Seminar

deepen their understanding of the food and agriculture landscape, exchange perspectives, strengthen their networks, and cultivate ideas to shape this vital industry. In our upcoming seminar, you will explore current and future industry... View Details

Keywords: Agriculture; Agriculture

January 2009 (Revised May 2009)
Case

Innovation at Mahindra & Mahindra (A)

By: Stefan H. Thomke and Briana Doerr Luthra

Describes the Mahindra & Mahindra Group's approach to innovation. The Group is among the top industrial houses in India and its managing director Anand Mahindra has put innovation at the core of its growth strategy. Emphasis is placed on managing the balance between... View Details

Keywords: Innovation and Management; Growth and Development Strategy; Problems and Challenges; Marketing; Business Processes; Product; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Design; Demand and Consumers; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; India

Research Summary

Strategic participation of social movement organizations

Social movements and related social movement organizations (SMOs) play an important role in the formation of new industries and market niches, as well as the emergence of new organizational forms. I argue that as SMOs become more sophisticated and... View Details

Helmy Abouleish

Keywords: Agriculture

Article

Marketing Complex Financial Products in Emerging Markets: Evidence from Rainfall Insurance in India

By: Sarthak Gaurav, Shawn A. Cole and Jeremy Tobacman

Recent financial liberalization in emerging economies has led to the rapid introduction of new financial products. Lack of experience with financial products, low levels of education, and low financial literacy may slow adoption of these products. This article reports... View Details

Keywords: Literacy; Insurance; Marketing; Decisions; Demand and Consumers; Financial Instruments; Emerging Markets; Education; Personal Finance; Agribusiness; Developing Countries and Economies; Innovation and Invention; Gujarat

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14 Sep 2023
Blog Post

MBAs Accelerate Their Social Enterprise Ventures

The Social Enterprise Accelerator is offered to students in the summer between their first and second year, supporting student founders in the development of their social impact startup. During the summer of 2023, eleven student founders... View Details

2015
Working Paper

The Impact of Funds: An Evaluation of CDC 2004-12

By: Josh Lerner, Ann Leamon, Steve Dew and Dong Ik Lee

CDC was founded in 1948 as part of the U.K. government's efforts to develop the economic resources of Britain's remaining colonies. Since then, CDC has pursued a series of strategies to "do good without losing money," as its original mission was phrased. Its approach... View Details

Keywords: Investment Funds; Great Britain

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03 Jun 2011
Working Paper Summaries

Inducement Prizes and Innovation

Keywords: by Liam Brunt, Josh Lerner & Tom Nicholas

11 Mar 2008
Working Paper Summaries

Finding Missing Markets (and a disturbing epilogue): Evidence from an Export Crop Adoption and Marketing Intervention in Kenya

Keywords: by Nava Ashraf, Xavier Giné & Dean Karlan; Food & Beverage

19 May 2009
First Look

First Look: May 19, 2009

entrepreneurial California agricultural biotech company seeking to earn carbon credits by modifying commodity crops for use in China and India. Eric Rey, Arcadia's CEO, faced a strategic inflection point in early September 2008. The... View Details

Keywords: Martha Lagace

08 Nov 2024
Op-Ed

How Private Investors Can Help Solve Africa's Climate Crisis

area’s peace, stability, and national security. And the situation is getting progressively worse, partly due to people migrating out of suddenly unlivable situations. “Governments and development finance institutions clearly don’t have... View Details

Keywords: by John Macomber; Green Technology; Energy

18 Feb 2015
First Look

First Look: February 18

which brought together multiple organizations to enhance agricultural development in rural regions. Purchase this case: https://cb.hbsp.harvard.edu/cbmp/product/715402-PDF-ENG Harvard Business School Case... View Details

Keywords: Sean Silverthorne

September 2013 (Revised August 2015)
Background Note

Leadership and Teaming

By: Ethan Bernstein

Small differences in the leadership of teams can have large consequences for the success of their efforts. Many initiatives fail not because of a fatal error in judgment or insufficient ideas, knowledge, motivation, or capabilities to deliver a solution. They fail... View Details

October 2001 (Revised April 2002)
Case

Calgene, Inc.

By: Ray A. Goldberg and John T. Gourville

In 1993, Calgene is on the verge of introducing the world's first genetically engineered plant product--a tomato will taste better and stay fresh longer. At the same time, it is using biotechnology to produce improved plant products for the cottonseed and the... View Details

Keywords: Information Technology; Marketing Strategy; Market Entry and Exit; Product Launch; Innovation Strategy; Social Issues; Production; Problems and Challenges; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry