In 2018, we partnered with hundreds of businesses that changed the lives of nearly three million people in farming communities around the world. We are deeply grateful to our donors and investors for helping us raise incomes, create jobs, and unlock opportunities for farming families. Check out this infographic that shows what your support made possible in 2018.
Read moreTopics: News and Announcements | Stories of Impact |
For years, many Nicaraguans have bristled under the increasingly repressive policies of President Daniel Ortega. Last April, the passage of an unpopular tax law tipped the country over the edge.
Read moreTopics: Mexico and Central America | Peace | Stories of Impact |
Happy New Year! 2018 was another impactful year for Root Capital. We worked with 200+ businesses to reach more than 625,000 farmers, connecting them to markets and services. Over the last 20 years, I've been consistently inspired by the tenacity and ingenuity of the agricultural enterprises we support—and last year was no exception. Here are just a few of the stories that made my jaw drop in 2018:
Read moreTopics: Our Community | Stories of Impact |
For the Maya, bees and their honey have always been sacred. Bees are a symbol of fertility and abundance; kaab, the Mayan word for bee, can also be translated as “force,” “land,” or “world.” But for the Mayan producer-members of the EDUCE cooperative, honey isn’t just a part of their cultural heritage. It’s also their livelihood.
Read moreTopics: Livelihoods | Mexico and Central America | Stories of Impact |
By the time the sun rises at Finca Eskandia, the farm has already come alive.
Read moreTopics: Environment | Peace | South America | Stories of Impact |
When actors across the coffee supply chain invest in quality, everyone benefits—from the farmer who earns better prices to the consumer who enjoys a better cup. Last month, we teamed up with specialty coffee pioneer Intelligentsia and coffee producers from across Colombia to learn how to make coffee better—for the people who drink it and those who grow it.
Read moreTopics: Partnerships | Peace | South America | Stories of Impact |
For the majority of Colombia’s 53-year civil war, the southern province of Cauca was a stronghold of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In the dog-eared copy of Lonely Planet that I’ve brought with me, the area isn’t even mentioned. Just ten years ago, it was not a recommended destination for tourists. Today, it not only feels safe; it feels welcoming.
Read moreTopics: Peace | South America | Stories of Impact |
Two billion. That’s the number of people in rural communities who are struggling to survive on less than $2 per day. Many of them are farming to feed the rest of the world, yet they aren’t getting enough to eat. Many live hundreds of miles from accessible markets, without the roads to reach them. With few choices, they’re forced to sell their hard-earned crops at rock-bottom prices. But there’s a way out of this cycle of grinding poverty.
Read moreTopics: Livelihoods | Mexico and Central America | Stories of Impact |
Thirty years ago, this place looked very different. Nestled in the foothills where the Amazon rainforest meets the towering Andes Mountains, the Peruvian town of San Martín de Pangoa exudes an aura of calm. Life seems to move at a leisurely pace; ambling through the town’s mostly-unpaved streets, you’ll see mototaxis rumble slowly past indigenous women cradling their babies in brightly-colored wool blankets. The hills rising above the town are patchworked with a lattice of small farms, and every moto and pickup truck seems to be laden with nearly-bursting sacks of coffee.
Read moreTopics: Environment | Peace | South America | Stories of Impact | Women in Agriculture | Youth |
No woman should have to choose between caring for her children and pursuing a fulfilling career. In this Kenyan village, working mothers found a way to do both.
Read moreTopics: East Africa | Partnerships | Stories of Impact | Women in Agriculture |
