Indian-origin businessman joins business commission

A Singapore-based Indian-origin businessman Sunny Verghese has become a member of the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, which will help accelerate sustainable growth in agri-business.
Verghese, Co-Founder and CEO of Singapore's agri-business group Olam International Limited, joins roster of leaders from the private sector, academia and civil society, who are committed to accelerating the world's transition to inclusive and sustainable growth.
The Business Commission's mission is to make a powerful case, supported by sound evidence, rigorous research and compelling real-world examples, for why business leaders should seize upon sustainable development as the greatest opportunity of a lifetime.
Its purpose is to show how the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the private sector with a framework for making a real difference in addressing the major developmental challenges that we face.

"The world cannot achieve sustainable development without the full engagement of the food and agriculture sectors, which are critical to achieving not just one, but the majority of the Global Goals," said Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, Chair of the Business Commission.
"Sunny's leadership in agri-business will be essential to increasing the number of leaders who understand the incredible opportunity for both growth and sustainability in this sector," Mark said.

The SDGs, launched in 2015, are 17 ambitious targets for ending hunger and poverty, reducing inequality and tackling climate change by 2030.
"One of the meanings of the word Olam is 'enduring' or 'everlasting'. I believe the only way we can build an enduring business is to put sustainability at the heart of our business. This is reflected in 'Growing Responsibly', our core purpose, which guides us to pursue profitable growth in an ethical, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable way," Verghese said.

"I am excited to join the Business Commission, as it seeks to inspire and catalyse companies to embed sustainability at the core of their businesses and aims to foster collaborations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," he said.