“In Sub-Saharan Africa today, the ‘missing middle’ financing gap for agricultural small and medium enterprises (agri-SMEs) is $65 billion a year.” -Root Capital’s CEO and founder Willy Foote at the 20th Skoll World Forum in Oxford, England, speaking on the ever-widening financing gap that exists for agribusinesses in developing economies.
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Root Capital is pleased to announce the addition of two members to our board of directors: Fleur Boos and Philip Brown. Fleur is new to the board and Philip is a returning member, who previously served on the Finance and Risk and Credit Committees. They both have extensive financial services experience and bring a deep understanding of Root Capital’s…
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Eighty-five percent. That’s how much of our world’s need for climate finance is unmet according to the Climate Policy Initiative. As we bear witness to the ever-increasing threats of climate change on the world stage, we continue to fall far short of what’s needed. Only 1.7% of global climate finance is directed to smallholder agriculture. Meanwhile, rural communities,…
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Root Capital is pleased to welcome Scott McDonald as our new Chief External Affairs Officer. A longtime supporter of our work, Scott recently sat down with us to share more about his background and role at Root Capital. Over the past three-plus decades, Scott has contributed to game-changing organizations in the fields of social finance, international development, and more. Most…
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Note: Click here to learn more about how we conduct impact studies in rural communities. In Ghana’s Eastern Region, the world’s first organic- and Fair Trade-certified oil palm enterprise, Serendipalm, sources oil palm fruit from over 500 smallholder farmers. Eight hundred kilometers north, in the Upper East Region, a sorghum aggregator called Faranaya purchases grain from close to…
Read moreTopics: Livelihoods | News and Announcements | Stories of Impact | West Africa |
In 2021, rural communities persevered through a relentless pandemic, tore down barriers to gender equity, and innovated novel solutions to the climate crisis. In the face of dire circumstances, the resolve of agricultural enterprises-and the steadfast support of our partners-continued to move the needle for inclusion, equity, and sustainability in rural communities. In case you missed it, we wanted to…
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Take a look around any farming community and you’ll see countless hardworking women producing the food and other commodities that nourish our world. Women plant and tend crops, collect the harvest when it’s ready, work in sorting and processing facilities, oversee finances, manage business operations, train farmers and employees, and own rural enterprises. They constitute 43% of the agricultural workforce…
Read moreTopics: News and Announcements | Partnerships | Women in Agriculture |
Root Capital is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to our board of directors: Sophie Romana and Scott McDonald. Sophie is a leading consultant in gender equity and financial inclusion who has spent years expanding access to credit for women around the world. Scott has a wealth of experience in international organizations, developing innovative fundraising and partnership…
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Last year, our global community stood up for farming families when they needed us most. During the pandemic, we partnered with agricultural enterprises to unlock prosperity for more than three million people in some of the most economically and environmentally vulnerable regions in the world. Thank you for ensuring that protecting lives and preserving livelihoods could go hand in hand.
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This week, Hurricane Iota became the strongest storm ever to hit Nicaragua. The category four storm ripped across the country with torrential rains and winds topping 155mph, mere weeks after the same communities were devastated by Hurricane Eta. In Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, the 550 members of the Flor de Cafe coffee cooperative…
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