Posted by Lauren Baum  |  May 7, 2015

Serendipalm employees in Asuom, Ghana. Photo credit: Dr. Bronner's. One hundred miles northwest of Accra, Ghana, sits Asuom, a village of surprising and beautiful contrasts and contradictions. The vermilion clay earth and rust-tin roofs in Asuom pop in contrast to the verdant greens of forests nearby. But it’s within these forests that an even more unexpected paradox exists: large, splayed trees producing sustainable palm oil. Four thousand acres of trees are cultivated by the 670 farmer members of Root Capital client Serendipalm – the world’s first, and largest, fair trade and organic certified palm oil company.

Topics: Environment | Livelihoods | Stories of Impact | West Africa | Women in Agriculture |

Posted by Katherine Borsecnik  |  March 27, 2014

As a board director and a donor, I’m in a good spot to closely track Root Capital’s progress, which also gives me regular opportunities to reevaluate the wisdom of my own investments of time and money.  While most of my work with Root Capital is done an arm’s length from the impact, I recently had my third opportunity to visit Root Capital clients, this time in Ghana with fellow board members, Root Capital staff, and my 17-year-old daughter. Here’s some of what I observed:

Topics: Livelihoods | Our Community | West Africa |

Posted by Root Capital  |  March 20, 2014

Working out of Root Capital's hub in Dakar, Senegal, Mireille William oversees our Financial Advisory Services (FAS) program throughout West Africa. Earlier this week, we had a chance to catch up with her about the experiences that brought her to Root Capital and her vision for FAS in West Africa.

Topics: Advisory Services | Staff Profiles | West Africa |

Posted by Catherine Gill  |  March 10, 2014

Producer members of Root Capital client Savannah Fruits Company, a shea butter cooperative in Ghana Early last week, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center, the United Nations Office for Partnerships, and Business Call to Action hosted their annual International Women’s Day Forum, a daylong event at the United Nations marking International Women’s Day, which the…

Topics: Our Community | West Africa | Women in Agriculture |

Posted by Root Capital  |  November 25, 2013

Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) is one of Root Capital’s allies within the food security space. Earlier this month, we spoke with CEO Jeff Dykstra about his organization and the challenges and opportunities associated with improving food security and nutrition around the world. What approach does Partners in Food Solutions take to improving food security?  Partners in Food Solutions (PFS) is an organization that aggregates the experience and know-how of employee volunteers from four leading global food companies: General Mills, Cargill, Royal DSM and Bühler to share that with small and growing food companies in Africa.

Topics: East Africa | Food Security | Our Community | West Africa |