Sustainability In The Business Environment

Sustainability in the business context is an important strategy for business managers to consider. The world’s population has escalated since the time of the industrial revolution and the advancement of technology has contributed significantly to the evolution of mass production. It took the world up until the 1800’s to reach a population of 1 billion people, a further 100 years to reach 2 billion, 3 billion 30 years later, and grew another 1 billion every 11 years after that (E.C. Webb, 2013, p. 2). An ever increasing population could lead to a higher demand for a product which increases the use of more natural resources. The scarcity and usage of natural resources could leave the consumer with a moral dilemma in deciding whether to purchase

For example, SAB miller has set 10 sustainable development priorities and improved in areas such as waste management, communities and, transparency and ethics. They are making strides in areas such as responsible drinking and, energy and carbon emissions ( Article In On Africa, 2011). SAB Miller is the biggest brewing company in South Africa for more than 120 years. “Sustainability is generally accepted nowadays as the key success factor in the long-term business strategy of firms, and firms that incorporate sustainability into their marketing strategy are thought to have a competitive advantage over other companies” (A. Forster, 2013, p. 4)Therefore, sustainable marketing is becoming increasingly important as a strategy for managers to consider.

Sustainable development has many aspects to consider however two aspects is of significance which include environmental and social aspects. Environmental aspects include issues such as global warming and climate change, extinction of species, scarcity of natural resources such as water and coal, usage of oil and many others. These are important issues for business and consumers alike as it affects the sustainability of life on earth. Businesses should have these issues high on its priorities in deciding on its strategy and implementing it

The diet of most cultures in South Africa contains a high amount of meat consumption. Together with the farming culture and favourable conditions and habitats for cattle and poultry, the meat industry remains a profitable business venture for entrepreneurs. South Africa consumes on average 2.9 million tons of meat per year of which 60 percent represents poultry consumption (Report: Dirk Esterhuizen, 2015). The sub-saharan country mainly imports its meat from countries such as Brazil, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Germany. The United States of America were previously prevented from exporting meat to the South African meat market due to anti-dumping duties and sanitary restrictions, however, in 2015 the South African government agreed to import 65000 ton of poultry from the