ABSTRACT
Cemex is the third largest global manufacturer of cement and other building materials in the world, with headquarters in Mexico. Cemex leadership had the idea to attempt to distribute cement products to about 2.5 million impoverished residents throughout Mexico—people who live in extremely crowded and unfinished housing in the country. Deep dialogue is practiced today by several nongovernmental organizations committed to poverty alleviation at the base of the pyramid (BoP). For example, Partners for Sustainable Development International in Bangladesh serves the “hardcore poor,” measured by the amount of food available each day. Besides providing food, water, and housing for their clients, they work with them to provide economic opportunities that fit local circumstances. However, by taking a systems approach combined with moral imagination and a concern for poverty alleviation, multinational enterprises involvement in BoP markets can result in sustainable returns for the stakeholders involved.
