Our Community Archives - Page 2 of 7

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…

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…

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…

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.

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.

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, two, and four. 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.