Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund

The ABC Fund offers financing solutions and technical assistance to farmer organisations, rural SMEs and financial institutions active in agriculture. Discover how the Fund is supporting SOCAK KATANA, a cocoa cooperative in Ivory Coast. #impactinvesting #ABCFund

Platcorp's Impact on African Agriculture & Smallholder Farmers Agriculture is vital to Africa, providing livelihoods for over 70% of the population. However, the sector faces significant challenges such as climate change, lack of access to markets, and limited access to financial services. In 2023, Platcorp committed $9.37 million USD in agricultural loans, benefiting 19,788 smallholder farmers and value chain actors. These funds empowered farmers to improve their farming practices, increase yields, access markets and improve inputs. Through the Viazi (Potato) and Maziwa (Dairy) Project in Keringet, Kenya, supported by Swedfund International and the Bamboo Capital Partners,113 farmers received financial and technical assistance. The initiative, focused on improving dairy and potato production, helped farmers adopt clean seed practices, optimize fertilizer use, and increase yields through pest management. 83% of the farmers reported higher yields, with 94% relying on farming as their primary source of income. Watch an inspiring success story from one of our customers, a dedicated farmer in Keringet, Kenya, who thrives in dairy and potato farming! https://lnkd.in/djD7sDZ5

The ABC Fund is proud to share that our investee Grace and Mercy has won a 60 Decibels Social Impact Award, for ranking top 3 out of all 42 African financial service providers surveyed in the 2024 Microfinance Index! The MFI Index is the world’s largest financial inclusion index grounded in customer voice, surveying over 36,000 clients of financial service providers in 45 different countries. Winning this award is testament to the outstanding work and dedication of the Grace and Mercy team! For more information about the awards and the full report: https://lnkd.in/eSsvWNaZ #financialinclusion #microfinance

The Agri-Business Capital Fund announces its latest investment of USD 1 million in UNI2 Microcrédito SAS (Finamiga), a leading microfinance institution in #Colombia. This new investment marks a continuation of the ABC Fund’s strong partnership with UNI2, following an initial subordinated debt facility of USD 3 million in 2022. Through this ongoing support, the ABC Fund is reaffirming its long-term commitment to financial inclusion and the empowerment of small-scale farmers in Colombia and the region. The new USD 1 million investment will allow UNI2 to extend over 1,900 new loans to smallholder farmers, providing essential resources for crop production and rural economic activities. The ABC Fund is a blended-finance impact fund which provides catalytic financing to agribusiness value chains in developing countries. The Fund was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with, and with funding from, the #EuropeanUnion, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the #Luxembourg Government and AGRA. IFAD invested in the Fund thanks to the financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Calvert Impact on behalf of Bank of America (BoA) Holding also invested into the ABC Fund. #SDG2 #impactinvesting #smallholderfarmers #Colombia https://lnkd.in/ghb8q5Ey

ABC Fund has published its latest Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/edrWTmKs The organisations that the ABC Fund has financed since its inception 5 years ago support the activity of over 720,000 #smallholder #farmers, 61% of whom are women and 37% are young. Out of them, it is estimated that over 206,000 smallholder farmers have been directly impacted by the financing provided by the ABC Fund. The Fund also aims to sustain employment in agribusiness value chains, especially for women and young people. SMEs in the agriculture sector have a strong potential to generate jobs for young people in developing economies. At the end of 2023, ABC Fund’s investees employ 4,253 people in #rural areas, 41% of them being #women and 64% #youth. During the year 2023, 749 new permanent jobs were created in rural areas within ABC Fund’s investee companies. The ABC Fund is a blended-finance impact fund which provides catalytic financing to agribusiness value chains in developing countries. The Fund was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with, and with funding from, the #EuropeanUnion, the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States, the #Luxembourg Government and AGRA. IFAD invested in the Fund thanks to the financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. Calvert Impact on behalf of Bank of America (BoA) Holding also invested into the ABC Fund. #SDG2 #impactinvesting #blendedfinance

The Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund invested EUR€1.1m in MiCreditoYa Microfinanciera SAS, a leading Microfinance Institution operating in #Colombia. ABC Fund’s investment will help MiCreditoYa enhance its ability to support rural communities and small-scale farmers, including women and young people in the country. The agribusiness activities that MiCreditoYa funds include a diverse range of crop and livestock farming. Specifically, loans are provided for vegetable – including onions and potatoes – and fruit farming, cereal production, and coffee cultivation. On livestock farming, the MiCreditoYa funding is directed towards dairy farming, cattle breeding and guinea pig farming. The ABC Fund is a blended finance impact fund which was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with and with funding from the #EuropeanUnion, the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the #Luxembourg Government and AGRA. IFAD made an investment in the Fund thanks to the financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. In 2022, Bank of America invested in the ABC Fund, becoming the first corporate global financial institution to invest in the Fund. The ABC Fund is managed by Bamboo Capital Partners in partnership with Injaro Investments Limited as investment advisor. #smallholderfarmers #impactinvesting #blendedfinance #SDG2

SOCAK KATANA is a cocoa cooperative based in #IvoryCoast. The cooperative has been supported by the #ABCFund since 2019. As an investee of the Fund, Socak Katana has received Technical Assistance through the Fund's TA Facility (TAF) managed by Agriterra. The TA focused on developing a strategic business plan and increasing membership awareness and loyalty. Learn more about the TA support that Socak Katana received here: https://lnkd.in/ek9eq6si The #ABCFund is a blended finance impact fund which aims to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in developing countries. The ABC Fund was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with, and with investments from, the #EuropeanUnion, the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), AGRA and the Government of #Luxembourg. IFAD made an investment in the Fund thanks to financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. In 2022, Bank of America became the first corporate global financial institution to invest in the Fund. The Fund is managed by Bamboo Capital Partners in partnership with Injaro Investments Limited and its Technical Assistance facility is led by Agriterra.

Since its launch in 2019, the Agri-Business Capital (#ABC) Fund has disbursed a total of EUR€43m to 28 organizations in 11 countries, mainly in Africa. Over the course of 2022, the ABC Fund financed 7 new organizations including 4 agri-SMEs and 3 financial intermediaries. The organizations financed by the Fund support over 594,000 small-scale farmers, 67% of whom are women, and created 331 new jobs in 2022. Read more about the impact of the ABC Fund in its Impact Report: https://lnkd.in/esWi-cTA The #ABCFund is a blended finance impact fund which was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in partnership with and funded by the #EuropeanUnion, the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), the #Luxembourg Government, AGRA and IFAD. The IFAD investment was made possible thanks to financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. In 2022, Bank of America invested in the ABC Fund, becoming the first corporate global financial institution to invest in the Fund. The ABC Fund is managed by Bamboo Capital Partners in partnership with Injaro Investments Limited as investment advisor and with technical assistance led by Agriterra. #smallholderfarmers #impactinvesting #blendedfinance #SDG2

The Agri-Business Capital Fund (“ABC Fund”) has invested EUR€800,000 into JKCC GENERAL SUPPLIES LTD, a #coffee trader and processor based in #Uganda. JKCC sources high-quality coffee beans directly from more than 3,700 smallholder farmers across 16 districts in Uganda. The farmers sell their produce to JKCC, which, in turn, distributes the products, particularly ground coffee, to the local market, including shops, and restaurants, primarily serving tourists, hotels, and local enterprises. Since 2020, JKCC also secured its coffee export license and initiated coffee processing. JKCC now exports to international markets and also produces roast and ground coffee under the brand name JK Coffee Roasters. The investment into JKCC General Supplies follows two repeat investments from the ABC Fund. An investment of EUR€2 million has been made into Union des CREP UNACREP, a microfinance institution in #Benin. A further EUR€4 million has been invested into #Anatrans, a cashew nut processor based in #BurkinaFaso. The ABC Fund was initiated by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and is funded by the #EuropeanUnion, the Secretariat of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), AGRA, the #Luxembourg Government, Bank of America as well as IFAD. The IFAD investment was made possible thanks to financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation. The ABC Fund is managed by Bamboo Capital Partners in partnership with investment advisor Injaro Investments Limited and with technical assistance led by Agriterra.  https://bit.ly/3SbuIry

The Agri-Business Capital Fund (ABC Fund), managed by Bamboo Capital Partners in partnership with Injaro Investments Limited as investment advisors, has invested €800,000 into JKCC GENERAL SUPPLIES LTD, a Ugandan based coffee trader. David Grimaud, CFA, CEO of Bamboo Capital Partners commented, “As the CEO of Bamboo Capital Partners, I am proud the ABC Fund has financed 28 organisations supporting nearly 600,000 smallholder farmers since 2019.” Read the full article on our app. Don’t have the app? Download FREE: Android - https://cutt.ly/izCdUQ2; iOS - https://lnkd.in/d5NT7zUr * Subscribe to Africa Private Equity News’ monthly Dealmaker’s Log for a database of the reported investment deals, exits and fundraising closes. Click here for more information: https://lnkd.in/duy5dWPs Jerry Parkes #privateequity