social impact of our business. A major element of this is to promote better livelihoods by

incorporating 500 000 small farms in developing countries and small-scale distributors into our

supply chain. This way we hope to have a positive impact on the lives of people living in povertyHistorically,    companies in the food and drink industry have tried to improve efficiency and minimise
costs by reducing the number of international suppliers they use. However, Oxfam said that firmsare now starting to consider new ethical business models about how they source their produce.

There is a need to move away from a short-term focus on profit margins and consider long-term objectives.n  2011 a drugs company, GlaxoSmithKline, (GSK), manufactured a new medicine which had a

higher market price than a rival medicine from another company. The medicine was expensive  to research and produce. The expected annual revenue for the company from the sale of themedicine was estimated to be around US$314m; 

the annual cost of hospital treatment with the   medicine for just one patient was around US$23 000. A government negotiated a new type of deal

with GSK. The company agreed that it would supply public sector hospitals with the medicine at
the same price as its rival’s product

Historically, companies in the food and drink industry have tried to improve efficiency and minimise
cost

costs by reducing the number of international suppliers they use. However, Oxfam said that firms
are now starting to consider new ethical business models about how they source their produce.
There is a need to move away from a short-term focus on profit margins and consider long-term
objectives.