FORTUNE OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2021 141Fortune’s Change the World list honors companies that use the creative tools of capitalism—including
the profit motive—to address society’s unmet needs. The 2021 list, our seventh, is also the second
compiled in the shadow of COVID-19, which has exposed how sorely our society has neglected some
of those needs. Many of this year’s honorees are battling to reverse that neglect, investing in the long-
term health of their businesses by supporting those on the lower rungs of the global economic ladder—
whether by bolstering pay and benefits for frontline workers (see entry No. 3); serving small farmers
(No. 36); or most urgent of all, distributing COVID vaccines in low- and middle-income nations (No. 1).
As always, our partner in selecting the honorees is Shared Value Initiative, a consultancy that helps
companies apply business skills to social problems. For more on our methodology, see page 143.
ILLUSTRATION BY MELVIN GALAPON