Skip to Main Content
HBS Home
  • About
  • Academic Programs
  • Alumni
  • Faculty & Research
  • Baker Library
  • Giving
  • Harvard Business Review
  • Initiatives
  • News
  • Recruit
  • Map / Directions
Faculty & Research
  • Faculty
  • Research
  • Featured Topics
  • Academic Units
  • …→
  • Harvard Business School→
  • Faculty & Research→
Publications
Publications
  • December 2012 (Revised April 2013)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Olam: On a New Course

By: David E. Bell, Forest Reinhardt and Mary Shelman
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:32
ShareBar

Abstract

From modest beginnings as a cashew trader in Nigeria, Olam, founded by Indian nationals in 1989, has grown into a leading global agricultural trading company, with annual revenues of $14 billion. The company recently has begun investing in farms and in the production of packaged goods, shifting from its traditional focus on the midstream of the value chain. The case raises questions involving competitive positioning, corporate strategy, sustainable development, and the management of business and political risk.

Keywords

Risk Management; Leadership; Customer Value and Value Chain; Corporate Strategy; Organizational Culture; Environmental Sustainability; Expansion; Competitive Advantage; Agribusiness; Agriculture and Agribusiness Industry; Nigeria

Citation

Bell, David E., Forest Reinhardt, and Mary Shelman. "Olam: On a New Course." Harvard Business School Case 513-044, December 2012. (Revised April 2013.)
  • Educators
  • Purchase

About The Authors

David E. Bell

Marketing
→More Publications

Forest L. Reinhardt

Business, Government and the International Economy
→More Publications

More from the Authors

    • 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Methane Abatement Costs in the Oil and Gas Industry: Survey and Synthesis

    By: Joseph E. Aldy, Forest Reinhardt and Robert N. Stavins
    • January 2025
    • Faculty Research

    Barilla: Feeding the Future

    By: Sophus A. Reinert, Forest L. Reinhardt, Dante Roscini and Carlota Moniz
    • January 2025
    • Faculty Research

    U.S. and Global Agriculture: The Next Four Years

    By: Forest Reinhardt, Sarah Dankens and Natalie Kindred
More from the Authors
  • Methane Abatement Costs in the Oil and Gas Industry: Survey and Synthesis By: Joseph E. Aldy, Forest Reinhardt and Robert N. Stavins
  • Barilla: Feeding the Future By: Sophus A. Reinert, Forest L. Reinhardt, Dante Roscini and Carlota Moniz
  • U.S. and Global Agriculture: The Next Four Years By: Forest Reinhardt, Sarah Dankens and Natalie Kindred
ǁ
Campus Map
Harvard Business School
Soldiers Field
Boston, MA 02163
→Map & Directions
→More Contact Information
  • Make a Gift
  • Site Map
  • Jobs
  • Harvard University
  • Trademarks
  • Policies
  • Accessibility
  • Digital Accessibility
Copyright © President & Fellows of Harvard College.