Responsible Business Practices of Dutch Enterprises in Kenyan Agri-Business

Responsible business or corporate social responsibility (CSR) has received increased attention in the past decade and has been identified as having the potential to make significant contributions to poverty alleviation and development. Companies are under greater pressure to take responsibility for their impacts on the societies, environment and value chain in which they operate. There is, however, a great lack of research on what determines responsible behaviour in developing countries and what the impact is of 'Western' responsible business approaches in the context of these countries. This paper investigates how responsible business is practised by Dutch enterprises operational in Kenyan agri-business and questions what this means for local sustainable development. Specific focus is placed on the drivers of responsible business and the impact of applying responsible business in the value chain. The paper also discusses the implications of the findings for practice and policy, proposing that there is a need to critically pose the question: 'How responsible is responsible business?'