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COVID-19 or hunger: The time to transform Africa’s food systems is now

Nairobi, Kenya — May 4, 2020 — Governments across Africa have put in place policies to stop the spread of COVID-19 with the first lockdowns resulting in significant restrictions on the movement of people and goods. But the disruption of intermediary businesses in agricultural value chains could have the most consequential impact on food security and livelihoods. This includes reduced…

Meet Root Capital’s New Chief Operating Officer

Root Capital is pleased to welcome Frances Reid as our new Chief Operating Officer. We recently sat down to learn more about her background and what brought her to Root Capital.

How Investing in Young People Sets Coffee Businesses Up for Long-term Success

Duban Gómez Alvarado grew up expecting to one day enter the family business: coffee farming. The Alvarados have worked the flourishing fields of western Colombia for generations—but, in recent years, climate change has imperiled their crop yields. Simultaneously, the global coffee price has plummeted below the cost of production, leaving many farmers without a livable income. “For many years, we have been coffee farmers in my family,” Duban says, “but I am not convinced at the prospect of continuing with my family’s work.”

How “Talent Partnerships” Unlock Business Growth in Rural Kenya

Eighty kilometers outside of Nairobi, the Patel family’s macadamia factory buzzes with activity. In 2016, Mehul and Chirag Patel founded macadamia processing business Rainsun Nuts; every year since, they’ve doubled their sales. Between their office in Nairobi and their factory in the rural town of Sagana, they’ve created jobs for dozens of people—the majority of whom are women, and many of whom are under 35.

For Antonio And Roberto, A Small Grant Made A Big Difference

Over the past 20 years, we’ve offered hundreds of coffee businesses the capital and training they need to succeed. But to truly maximize their impact, these businesses sometimes require additional support. That’s why, in partnership with USAID Feed the Future, we launched a Resilience Fund that provides $20,000 grants to some of our highest-performing client businesses in Colombia and Peru.

What Fair Trade And Other Coffee Certifications Mean For Farmer Livelihoods

Certifications give consumers insights into where their coffee comes from. But with so many certifications out there, figuring out what each one means can be challenging. Here's a short guide to help you understand the major coffee certifications—and what getting certified means for our client businesses and coffee farmers.

Meet the New Chair of Root Capital’s Board

Ana Zacapa (third from right) accompanies the Root Capital team to visit client agricultural businesses in southern Mexico. In December 2017, I was in Chiapas State in southern Mexico when Root Capital’s Senior Manager of Advisory Services for the region, David Lozano, turned to me and said: “I’m so excited she’s on our board, asking such insightful questions—and in her native Spanish!” David was talking about Ana Zacapa, who was accompanying us deep into the mountains of Chiapas to visit coffee and honey cooperatives, and to hear directly from farmers both about the challenges they face and the innovative solutions they can access as part of an agricultural business.

Root Capital Selected for the Eighth Annual IA 50 Impact Investment Fund Manager Showcase

CAMBRIDGE, Massachusetts, USA, 27 February 2019 – For the eighth consecutive year, Root Capital has been selected for the ImpactAssets 50 (IA 50), a free online resource for investors and financial advisors. The annual guide features fund managers representing private debt and equity investments that deliver social and environmental impact as well as financial returns. The IA 50 2019 saw a…

How Root Capital and the IKEA Foundation are Building the Resilience of Smallholder Farmers in East Africa

Photo: USAID/Siegfried Modola Root Capital and the IKEA Foundation are announcing a new partnership, worth €4.8 million, to help 260,000 smallholder farmers in Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda increase their income and adapt to climate change. The grant builds on the success of a previous partnership, through which Root Capital supported dozens of Kenyan agricultural businesses, helping them break the cycle of poverty in rural communities.

Five Things I Learned from Our Youth Workshops in Nicaragua

A few weeks ago, I had the privilege of traveling to the coffeelands of northern Nicaragua to see Root Capital’s advisory team in action.