CSR

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
This literature review was written by Prof.Satya Sidhartha Panda,(Ph.D.)
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has blossomed as a movement in recent years, driven partly by growing pressures on companies from NGOs, customers and other stakeholders, and partly by companies choosing voluntarily to push ahead in this area. But as firms have expanded their CSR activities, the sophistication of tools available to understand the value and business impacts of such activities has lagged behind. While an impressive range of initiatives, indices and tools have been or are being developed, allowing some form of measurement, these are of limited use in guiding actual investment decisions on CSR: for example, many focus on whether CSR has minimized risks, and thus neglect the business opportunities that it may help capture. Likewise many fail to differentiate between CSR issues that impact business performance from those that are marginal in this respect

The emergence of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) as important institutional actors in the global political economy is a relatively recent phenomenon (Doh/ Teegen, 2002). The growing importance of NGOs in major global policy debates represents both a response to, and an element of, the globalization phenomenon. NGO influence has been felt in a range of major public policy debates, and NGO activism is responsible for major changes in corporate behavior and policy. Multinational corporations (MNCs) now are increasingly confronted by a range of international agreements and codes of conduct that attempt to govern their behavior, many of which are driven by NGO pressure. During the past decade, concerns over the downsides of economic globalization, particularly in the environmental and labor areas, have contributed to the growth of codes of conduct (Drezner 2000, Williams 2000, Kearney 1999). Such codes are viewed by many NGOs as a means to reign in the excesses of globalization. Codes may take the form of international agreements, or be sponsored by international organizations, the private sector, or non-profit organizations.

Krishak Bharati Coopertive Limited (KRIBHCO) is the world’s premier fertilizer producing cooperative having outstanding track record to its credit in all spheres of its activities. KRIBHCO has fully imbibed the cooperative philosophy and has made sustained efforts towards promoting the cause of modern agriculture and agriculture cooperatives in the country.

Having its genesis in farmers’ cooperatives, social development and humane facets have always been of prime focus in its growth and philosophy – an organization which owes its existence to the farmers, by the farmers and for the farmers of this great country.

SERVICES TO COOPERATIVES AND FARMERS

Ø The Society since inception has made vigorous efforts towards the development of farm technologies and other welfare schemes for upliftment of the farming community. Over 1600 programmes on crop seminars, farmers meetings, block demonstration, field days, Kisan Melas, farmers visit, agriculture campaigns health checkup campaigns, veterinary health check up camps and income generation programmes etc. have been conducted which have benefitted about 2.5 lac farmers across the country.

Ø Around 400 programmes on cooperative conference, workshops and state consultative committee meetings have been organized with a view to strengthen the cooperative system.

Ø A variety of facilities like farm implements, furniture, technical assistance towards improvement in godown facilities etc. are being provided to the economically weaker societies.

Ø Around 50,000 soil and water samples have been tested and recommendations made available to the farmers to improve and enhance their produce.

Ø Krishak Parivar Sangams have been organized in 14 states on the theme dry land farming and farm technology.

Ø KRIBHCO has established Krishi Paramarsh Kendra at its corporate office for facilitating farmers in providing information and advise on micro nutrients soil testing, soil improvement, latest farm technology through internet and also KRIBHCO Kisan Helpline.

SEED MULTIPLICATION PROGRAMME

With a view to provide quality certified seeds of main crops to the farmers, KRIBHCO has established most modern seed processing plants situated in 9 states. From a modest production of 2,982 Qtls of quality seeds in 1991-92, KRIBHCO today provides 1.54 lakh Qtls of the quality seeds to the farmers annually.

GRAMIN VIKAS TRUST (GVT)

Ø KRIBHCO established Gramin Vikas Trust which is managing Rural Development Rainfed Farming Projects which are jointly funded by DFID and KRIBHCO. The primary objective of GVT is to enhance livelihood and elevate poverty of the tribal and rural population in the rainfed regions of the country through facilitating farming systems, development and research, institution building and beneficiary participation.
Ø The GVT projects have successfully developed JANKAR system whereby village volunteers are trained and equipped to take forward the project intervention and dissemination of project approaches and technologies so that they can act as animator for the development programmes.

BIO-FERTILISERS

Ø Continuous promotional and educative programmes are being conducted to increasingly make farmers aware of benefits derived through use of bio-fertilisers.
Ø KRIBHCO has established Bio-fertiliser Plants in order to provide eco-friendly and cost effective fertilizers. The tremendous efforts putforth by KRIBHCO in this direction has been acknowledged for three consecutive years by National Productivity Council by awarding first position to KRIBHCO for production, marketing and promotion of bio-fertilisers in the Nation.

Ø Conclusion
Ø The modern concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is evolving gradually despite several hindrances. Driving forces behind this evolution is pressure from various stakeholders (Importers, Environmentalists) while slow progress is attributed to lack of Good Governance, absence of strong labor unions, consumer forums and above all lack of understanding by business houses, specifically non-exporting ones, that CSR is not charity but is rather an instrumental PR investment.