Social Business

Different approaches to social business have emerged in the quest to reduce poverty and inequality and expand access to products and services for historically marginalized populations. These are civil society organizations mobilized to solve problems faced by the population itself using market mechanisms. This phenomenon has occurred in different parts of the world with particular characteristics, but it originated in the 1990s, when the search for an alternative to a capitalist system that generated crises and concentrated income and opportunities emerged with greater force with the fall of the Soviet Union. This paper aims to analyze the different approaches to social business around the world and analyze their common origins, common characteristics, and main differences. Finally, it makes some analyses and observations regarding social businesses in relation to their potential to reduce poverty and inequality.