Misfortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid

摘要

The popular 'bottom of the pyramid' (BOP) proposition argues that large companies can make a fortune by selling to poor people and simultaneously help eradicate poverty. This is, at best, a harmless illusion and potentially a dangerous delusion. This paper shows that the BOP argument is riddled with inaccuracies and fallacies, and proposes an alternative perspective on how the private sector can help alleviate poverty. We need to view the poor as producers, and emphasise buying from them, rather than selling to them. The only way to alleviate poverty is to raise the real income of the poor.