NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Friday, July 8, 2016

Bethesda, MD – July 6, 2016 – ImpactAssets announced today that it has deployed more than $3.5MM in support of smallholder farmers in Honduras, Costa Rica, Chile and Peru through their recently launched Global Sustainable Agriculture Note. This lower-minimum publicly offered debt security broadens investor access to grower cooperatives and agricultural enterprises.

“Accessible, high-impact products like the Global Sustainable Agriculture Note opens doors for investors interested in building sustainable farming communities and creating equanimity in food value chains globally,” said Ron Cordes, Board Member and Chairman, Executive Committee, ImpactAssets and Co-Founder, Cordes Foundation.

Seven separate portfolio transactions include smallholder coffee cooperatives that are producing and certifying high-quality coffee. Providing affordable credit helps bring farmers into the value chain, improve the quality of commodities they sell and improve the sustainability of their farming techniques. “By investing in loans to smallholder farmers, we’re helping cooperatives manage risk and strengthen their businesses. Assuming full capital deployment, we will reach more than 20,000 smallholder farmers in this first round of capital deployment,” said Fran Seegull, Chief Investment Officer, ImpactAssets.