Publications

Sustained impact is unlocked when we share data and insights across sectors. Root Capital publishes original research, impact studies, evaluations, and articles demonstrating how to effectively build rural prosperity.

Women in Agriculture Initiative: 2016 Annual Report
by Root Capital

At Root Capital, we believe fiercely that women are critical to breaking the cycle of poverty, hunger, and environmental degradation in rural areas of the developing world. That's why we're thrilled to share our 2016 Women in Agriculture Annual Report, which details the progress we’ve made over the last year through the WAI and the strategies we’ve implemented to increase economic opportunities for women around the world.

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FORBES — How Employees At The World’s Largest Companies Are Assisting Entrepreneurs Across Africa
by Willy Foote

As part of the aptly named Partners in Food Solutions (PFS), some of the world’s largest food and agricultural companies are harnessing 693 years of combined experience to strengthen small- and medium-sized enterprises throughout Africa.

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FORBES — Climate Refugees Are Leaving the Farm Behind
by Willy Foote

Today, millions of the world’s most vulnerable people are fleeing from places where agriculture remains the backbone of rural economies, as the dire consequences of climate change—crop failure due to drought, for example—come into focus.

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FORBES — To Invest In The Future Of Coffee, Starbucks Turns To The Capital Markets
by Willy Foote

By issuing the first U.S. corporate sustainability bond, Starbucks can generate yield for financiers and farmers alike.

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FORBES — Can Silicon Valley’s Big Bet On Agriculture Help Small-Scale Farmers In Developing Countries?
by Willy Foote

A lack of reliable information is among the most frustrating obstacles to unlocking the potential of agriculture. But as investment in AgTech heats up, what value does big data offer small-scale farmers at the end of dirt roads in the hardest-to-serve markets on earth?

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Women in Agriculture Initiative: 2015 Annual Report
by Root Capital

Root Capital invests in women by investing in agricultural businesses that promote gender-inclusive practices. This report presents an update on our Women in Agriculture Initiative (WAI), through which we study the roles played by women across our value chains and the barriers they face to full participation, and identify opportunities to deepen our clients’ impacts on women.

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Financing Farm Renovation: How to Build Resilience Using a Blend of Capital
by Matt Foerster

More than two years after the launch of the Coffee Farmer Resilience Initiative, we share initial learning and recommendations on how to design financial products and services for long-term farm renovation. Discover how leading coffee companies—along with the public sector, private foundations, and impact investors—are using a blend of capital to invest in the future of coffee.

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Investing in Resilience: A Shared Value Approach to Agricultural Extension
by Elizabeth Teague

We detail the role that rural businesses can play in helping smallholder producers improve resilience. By providing farmers with the knowledge and tools to improve their agricultural practices and productivity, they can contribute to more stable and prosperous farmer livelihoods, help mitigate climate change, and create shared value for entire supply chains.

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FORBES — Three Ways To Keep Your Clients Front And Center
by Willy Foote

Too often, vital client voices are not always heard above the hype, or through the hyperness of entrepreneurial instincts and enterprise building. How can entrepreneurs cultivate and codify a culture of empathy and understanding and always put clients at front and center?

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