Back Roads to BoardRooms

Latest Findings About Root Capital’s Impact on Rural Livelihoods

Posted by Isabel DoCampo | May 21, 2020

Note: This blog is the final post in a four-part series exploring how Root Capital measures and manages the impact of our lending. Read parts one, two, and three. Impact measurement and management is at the heart of Root Capital’s work, helping us optimize our efforts to transform rural communities. By measuring our impact, we…

An Update on Root Capital’s COVID-19 Response

Posted by Frances Reid | April 24, 2020

It has been five weeks since we closed the Root Capital offices and switched to remote work across the globe. First and foremost, I’m grateful to report the good health of our team and clients and wish the same for you and your loved ones.

How We’re Continuing to Support Rural Businesses and Smallholder Farmers During the Coronavirus Outbreak

Posted by Root Capital | March 20, 2020

As individuals, communities, and organizations, we are all adapting to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Root Capital and the agricultural businesses we support are no exception; which is why we’re doing everything we can to continue advancing our mission during this uncertain time.

COVID-19 Update From Root Capital

Posted by Frances Reid | March 19, 2020

As the world faces an outbreak of novel coronavirus (COVID-19), our thoughts are with all of you in our global community. This is a difficult time, with many unknowns. But one thing is certain: we must continue being in solidarity with the most vulnerable.

Root Capital’s Impact in 2019

Posted by Root Capital | March 11, 2020

Last year, we partnered with agricultural enterprises to unlock prosperity in some of the most economically and environmentally vulnerable regions of the world. With the help of our donors and investors, we reached more than three million people in rural households. Thank you for supporting our mission to build prosperous, inclusive, and resilient rural communities.

This “Hidden Influencer” is Expanding Opportunity for Women Farmers in Colombia

Posted by Rob Hefferon | March 5, 2020

It’s 3 o’clock in the morning. The crickets have stopped chirping and hours will pass before the rooster crows. Elizabeth Garzón Piamba is preparing the fire for breakfast while her family sleeps. After she feeds her children and gets them ready for school, she heads out to work as the sun just peeks over the horizon. Elizabeth is a coffee farmer. And she has 4,000 trees to take care of.

These Guatemalan Farmers Are Harnessing the Power of Digital Data With Help From Root Capital

Posted by Rob Hefferon | February 28, 2020

Since the advent of the internet, digital technology has revolutionized the coffee industry. Buyers price their contracts with algorithmic software. Roasters optimize the flavor of their beans by controlling heat to a fraction of a degree. Even baristas use high-tech kits to test the chemical makeup of their brews. But while the world has changed around them, many coffee farmers have been left out.

What We’ve Learned About Evaluating Impact in Rural Communities

Posted by Katie Naeve | February 27, 2020

Note: This blog post is the third in a four-part series exploring how Root Capital measures and manages the impact of our lending. Read parts one and two. Several years ago, a mango farmer in Burkina Faso told us something that forever changed our approach to impact evaluation.

Topics: Our Community | Stories of Impact |

Reflecting on a 20-Year Partnership with Root Capital

Posted by Colleen Popkin -- Keurig Dr Pepper | February 20, 2020

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the lush, coffee-growing region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Northern Colombia. The Sierra Nevada is a unique coastal mountain range—with altitudes reaching well above 18,000 feet within sight of the Caribbean. Its rugged and steep geography makes travel to the region quite difficult. Driving to a farm only 14 miles from town took me almost four hours.

Better Coffee, Better Livelihoods: Lessons from Our Second Joint Workshop with Intelligentsia

Posted by Lula Perez | January 28, 2020

"What coffee variety do you think has the lowest quality?” Intelligentsia Coffee’s Director of Sourcing and Shared Value Michael Sheridan asked this question to a room of farmers and business leaders in Honduras last month. “Lempira!” came the unanimous reply. Michael asked a follow-up question: “What is the variety you have planted most on your farms?” Again, the room called out in unison, “Lempira!”