Solving the world’s water issues: How focusing on profit can help the poor

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When leading water technology company Xylem started manufacturing simple pumps for smallholder farmers, it wasn’t for charity, the company expected to profit.The new Essence of Life line caters to the everyday water needs of farmers with small plots of land, among some of the world’s poorest customers. Like any of its customers, Xylem expects these farmers to pay for the right product at the right price.“Many of us in the water business–Xylem and its peers–are engaging in a lot of the same strategies: premium products in premium markets,” said Keith Teichmann, vice president and director of innovative networks and marketing at Xylem, in an interview with Global Envision.It’s not that Xylem didn’t focus on humanitarian activities in the past–the company’s …


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