New Field Partner: AgDevCo helps small scale farmers do big business
November 30, 2012By: Camille Ricketts
We're thrilled to welcome our newest Field Partner, Africa Agriculture Development Company (AgDevCo) in Mozambique!
AgDevCo is both a venture capital organization and a nonprofit. This might sound counterintuitive, but its financial goals are equally socially-driven. Its goal: to build successful agribusinesses in low-income countries -- businesses big enough to attract the attention of outside investors on their own.
How does AgDevCo do this?
It connects farmers to the tools and resources they need to build their operations from scratch -- and then some. The organization identifies promising projects, helps farmers secure land, offers training, links them to high-value markets and removes many of the upfront development costs that stunt business growth.
Chimoio, Mozambique is the ideal setting for AgDevCo's strategy to take root. With a suitable climate, abundant land and access to water resources, its a prime environment for agriculture on a large scale. With AgDevCo's resources and backing, it's possible for small subsistence farms to grow into viable commercial businesses.
Kiva lenders' funds will be used to help farmers in the AgDevCo program establish their very first small plots. When they achieve success on these plots, they can add more land to their parcels through additional financing. Eventually, they can lease and manage their own large-scale land blocks to generate even more income for themselves and their families.
LEND TO AN AGDEVCO FARMER TODAY. We apologize if there are no loans available. We knew these ones would go fast, but please stay tuned for more!
Have questions about Kiva Field Partners? Send them to us at blog@kiva.org.
Images courtesy of AgDevCo.
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