What we do

We empower rural communities with efficient agricultural models

For the past fifty years, agriculture has relied on the monoculture of selected plant varieties and the large-scale use of fertilizers and pesticides to increase yields. The side effects of intensive agriculture are now plain to see: soil degradation, water pollution, diminishing biodiversity, farmers made vulnerable to climate change, and increasingly dependent on suppliers of agricultural technology.

The Livelihoods funds promote farming practices that can increase food production while preserving our natural resources.

We are convinced that the best farming techniques are those that are inspired by the workings of nature itself. Trees, plants and animals grow together as they depend on one another for their subsistence. Agroforestry, for instance, aims to replicate this natural collaboration by combining the planting of trees and of diversified crops. Plant and animal biomass are efficient means to enhance soil fertility, reducing the need for chemical products while sequestering carbon and retaining water.

Our Aim

We build resilient communities and ecosystems, and sustainable businesses

70% of the world’s poor live in rural areas, where agriculture is the main source of income and employment. These rural communities are the most vulnerable to climate change and environmental degradation. Smallholder farmers face a vicious circle: inefficient agricultural practices lead to low yields and degraded ecosystems, which keeps them in poverty.
On the other side, businesses require sustainable supply chains to secure their long-term activities, as well as high social value carbon credits to offset their unavoidable emissions.

The Livelihoods funds propose innovative investment models to simultaneously address environmental degradation, climate change and rural poverty, while helping businesses become more sustainable.

We partner with public institutions looking for efficient solutions to achieve sustainable development goals (SGDs) in developing countries. We work with best-in-class NGOs to design and scale up impactful pilot-projects. We cooperate with experts on the continuous improvement of our projects. We empower rural communities with additional knowledge and technology, as they are the real actors of change.

By bringing all parties together, we create shared value.

Sustainable Developement Goals

We implement projects with social, environmental & economic impact

Social

Our projects improve the livelihoods of rural communities, focusing on access to essential goods (education, water, health…), the condition and social status of women, youth, and communities’ social and cultural cohesion.

Environmental

We strive to find the best balance between increased food production and preserving ecosystems (soil and water conservation, CO2 sequestration…).

We implement projects at the landscape level to maximize impact.

Economic

We empower smallholder farmers through efficient agricultural practices to produce more, and better, and provide them with access to markets.
Our projects generate tangible returns for our investors: sustainable sourcing and carbon credits with high social value.

Our Approach

Large-scale projects creating value for all stakeholders

Results-oriented coalitions

We join forces with NGOs, public institutions and experts to develop innovative projects based on performance & results in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Upfront financing

We support best-in-class NGOs in scaling up tested pilot projects, which empower farmers with efficient, affordable and replicable agricultural practices

Large-scale projects

We design projects at landscape level, across thousand of hectares, in order to maximize social, environmental and economic impact.

Long-term commitment

We implement and monitor projects on a 10 to 20 year span, thanks to our investors’ firm commitment. Results-based returns on our investment guarantee tangible impacts.

Mutual value creation

Our projects create benefits for rural communities (improved livelihoods…), public goods (water and nature conservation, CO2 sequestration…) and improve business sustainability (better sourcing, carbon credits with high social value…).

Our Levers For Action