Perspectives
Exploring the nexus of social business and rural development in the food and agriculture sector from the vantage point of social procurement and ESG performance: Insights from Bangladesh and Thailand
This was one of the visions set forth by Bangladesh’s Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Mr. Faiyaz Murshid Kazi, while opening an afternoon dialogue session on Social Business for Inclusive Rural Development at the Bangkok campus of Thailand’s National Institute for Development Administration (NIDA) last week. Progress on the SDGs falls short of the ambition and urgency needed. Halfway through the decade of action, the United Nations declared 6 July as Rural Development Day, inspired by the work of the Dhaka-based Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific. Referring to the urban-rural interdependencies, the Ambassador reminded the room that leaving no one behind recognizes rural development as a foundation–not a standalone pillar – of sustainable development. As the dynamics of global leadership continue to shift in 2025, enhanced triangular conversations and “South-South” collaboration on areas like social business innovation can pave a new way ahead beyond the years of the SDGs.
Jonathan Brenes Salazar
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