All human beings are driven by their will and strong desire to survive and prosper. Or to live without fear, hunger or suffering. To imagine how your life could be better and then have the means to change it. Yet, every day, 1.4 billion people – nearly one fifth of the world’s inhabitants – cannot fulfil their most basic needs, let alone attain their dreams or desires.
Empowering the impoverished population is an essential first step to eradicating poverty. This means respecting the willingness and capability that each person has to take charge of their own life and to seek out opportunities to make it better.
However, fighting poverty has many challenging dimension. One of these is the lack of provision of financial services to rural communities, and in particular to individuals whose livelihoods depend on agricultural activities. Specific risks, such as weather conditions, disease, and variations in market prices create barriers for providing financial services to this group.
Impact investors, local governments, and even local private lenders are working to overcome these challenges, and some successful models have emerged. Yet difficulties remain.
Through more than 12 years of supporting rural microfinance institutions in developing countries, Incofin Investment Management seeks to understand and address smallholder financing needs. Incofin IM manages funds that invest in microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries. They provide financial services, such as credits, savings and insurances, to people who cannot have recourse to regular banks.
As a specialist in rural microfinancing, Incofin IM's main goal is to reach out to people who live in more secluded rural areas and/or who are active in the agricultural sector. From their offices in Belgium, Colombia, India and Kenya they finance and support organizations in over 40 countries. Incofin IM also explores the possibilities for direct investments in companies situated in these countries and develops new products to suit the development of their needs.
Incofin IM aims at a balanced combination of financial and social results. They attach great importance to the social objective of the organizations which they support. Only those institutions that actually have a positive impact in terms of their clients’ and staff’s standard of living may qualify for investment.
Recently, Incofin IM, Incofin cvso, Fairtrade International, and Grameen Foundation joined to establish the first fund to focus on the unmet demand by smallholders for long-term loans. In October 2012 the Fairtrade Access Fund was launched with US$ 1.75 million of capital.
Incofin IM is responsible for managing the fund while the other three parties take the sponsor role. The Fund is an impact investment fund designed to provide rural people with opportunities to increase their market access through financial products and technical assistance that meet the specific needs of farmers. Its investments are designed to have a positive social impact on the lives of smallholder famers while delivering a fair financial return for the fund’s investors.
Empowering the impoverished population is an essential first step to eradicating poverty. This means respecting the willingness and capability that each person has to take charge of their own life and to seek out opportunities to make it better.
However, fighting poverty has many challenging dimension. One of these is the lack of provision of financial services to rural communities, and in particular to individuals whose livelihoods depend on agricultural activities. Specific risks, such as weather conditions, disease, and variations in market prices create barriers for providing financial services to this group.
Impact investors, local governments, and even local private lenders are working to overcome these challenges, and some successful models have emerged. Yet difficulties remain.
Through more than 12 years of supporting rural microfinance institutions in developing countries, Incofin Investment Management seeks to understand and address smallholder financing needs. Incofin IM manages funds that invest in microfinance institutions (MFIs) in developing countries. They provide financial services, such as credits, savings and insurances, to people who cannot have recourse to regular banks.
As a specialist in rural microfinancing, Incofin IM's main goal is to reach out to people who live in more secluded rural areas and/or who are active in the agricultural sector. From their offices in Belgium, Colombia, India and Kenya they finance and support organizations in over 40 countries. Incofin IM also explores the possibilities for direct investments in companies situated in these countries and develops new products to suit the development of their needs.
Incofin IM aims at a balanced combination of financial and social results. They attach great importance to the social objective of the organizations which they support. Only those institutions that actually have a positive impact in terms of their clients’ and staff’s standard of living may qualify for investment.
Recently, Incofin IM, Incofin cvso, Fairtrade International, and Grameen Foundation joined to establish the first fund to focus on the unmet demand by smallholders for long-term loans. In October 2012 the Fairtrade Access Fund was launched with US$ 1.75 million of capital.
Incofin IM is responsible for managing the fund while the other three parties take the sponsor role. The Fund is an impact investment fund designed to provide rural people with opportunities to increase their market access through financial products and technical assistance that meet the specific needs of farmers. Its investments are designed to have a positive social impact on the lives of smallholder famers while delivering a fair financial return for the fund’s investors.
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