Back Roads to BoardRooms

This All-Women Cooperative is Feeding Hundreds During the Pandemic

Posted by Rob Hefferon | October 22, 2020

Since 2007, the all-women AMPROCAL coffee cooperative in Ocotepeque, Honduras has worked hard to connect farmers with higher prices for their coffee on the international market. Starting with just eight members, they’ve grown to over 150 today. That means they’re able to improve livelihoods and grow inclusion for more farmers across the region. For the last four years, Root Capital…

Keeping Farmers Safe and Business Running: One Coop’s Pandemic Response

Posted by Rob Hefferon | October 14, 2020

When Donald Delgado took the helm of UNICAFEC last November, the coffee cooperative was at a crossroads. Since its founding in 2001, the cooperative had been led by one man, Alfredo Alarcón, and his sudden death left a hole in the community’s heart—not to mention real fears for the businesses’ future. Donald himself worked under Alfredo’s leadership for more than…

Cross-sector Experts Join Root Capital’s Board of Directors

Posted by Root Capital | September 30, 2020

Root Capital is pleased to announce the addition of four new members to our board of directors: Ken Bartels, Macani Toungara, Mario Fernández, and Salah Goss. These members join our board with a wealth of experience across sectors and around the world. They bring deep expertise in several key aspects of our work—the coffee value chain, youth inclusion, philanthropic partnerships,…

Deepening Resilience in Rural Communities: Results from Root Capital’s Second COVID-19 Survey

Posted by Root Capital | September 14, 2020

During this global pandemic, one of the most glaring shortages is access to reliable information. That’s particularly true in the rural communities where we work. As public health and economic responses focus on the concerns of dense, urban areas, rural communities are being left behind. But it’s impossible to design an effective response in these communities without information on how…

Building Business Capacity from Afar: A Q&A With Root Capital Advisor Ousmane Sané

Posted by Root Capital | August 3, 2020

Root Capital’s innovative advisory services are powered by our talented team of advisory consultants. These trainers work closely with agricultural businesses to address the day-to-day challenges of running a remote enterprise. Working together, they build skills and processes that foster growth and resilience in the long term. One of these advisors is Ousmane Sané, known as Sané, who’s been a…

Root Capital and DFC Invest in Rural Women Through the 2X Challenge

Posted by Katie Naeve and Charity Wallace | July 22, 2020

When you run a small enterprise in a rural community, it’s difficult to access the financing you need to grow. If you’re a woman running one of these enterprises, it’s even harder. The International Finance Corporation estimates that up to 70% of women-owned enterprises in emerging markets are overlooked by lenders. These women-owned enterprises face a…

Un futuro más sostenible para las abejas—y los apicultores—en el sur de México

Posted by Root Capital | June 26, 2020

En la península de Yucatán, México, ubicada lejos del mar, la ciudad de Cacaptxa está llena de abejas. En esta comunidad maya, la miel es más que un negocio, es un punto de referencia cultural. Muchas familias han criado abejas durante generaciones. Algunos aún recuerdan cuando la miel se usaba en lugar de las visitas al médico para cerrar las…

Preserving Lives and Livelihoods: An Update on Our COVID-19 Response

Posted by Root Capital | June 23, 2020

As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, we believe that saving lives must go hand in hand with preserving livelihoods. Agricultural businesses can play a key role in reaching the most vulnerable populations with creative, rapid responses that build long-term resilience. In a survey of our client businesses, we found they are struggling to manage their cash flow…

A More Sustainable Future for Bees—and their Keepers—in Southern Mexico

Posted by Root Capital | June 23, 2020

On Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, nestled far from the sea, the town of Kankabchen is teeming with honeybees. In this Maya community, honey is more than just a business—it’s a cultural touchstone. Families have raised bees for generations. Some can still remember when honey was used in place of doctors’ visits to close wounds and treat cataracts. Lidia Maribel Moo Poot…

Harvesting Under Quarantine: One Co-op’s Creative Approach

Posted by Root Capital | June 17, 2020

As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of resilient, farmer-focused agricultural enterprises have never been clearer. For example, in Colombia, Root Capital client Federación Campesina del Cauca (FCC) is helping its farmers adapt to social distancing and other restrictions during the all-important coffee harvest season. Sustainable Harvest, one of FCC’s largest buyers and a Root…