Agriculture Finance: Growing and Earning More Your Program Impact Report—Fall 2023 2023–2025 AGRICULTURE FINANCE STRATEGIC VISION To reach 788,000 farmers annually with $106M in agriculture loans disbursed annually through 27 financial service partners and a network of 2,512 Farmer Support Agents in 9 countries.
OUR GRATITUDE Ghana's worsening floods and droughts have made growing fruit and vegetables harder, and when the maize and rice crops are hit as well, families like Fuseina’s are left with meagre yields of grains that lack essential nutrients and vitamins. Fuseina joined a free crop insurance project that aims to protect smallholderfarmers from falling into poverty by ravages of extreme weather, pest infestations, and crop disease outbreaks that are becoming increasingly destructive as global temperatures rise.
Fuseina and her family, farmer, Ghana
Now when long dry spells destroy a share of the crops on Fuseina's 6.5-acre farm, her family can mainstain stability. “I am excited to plant new crops on my farm because I know I will get returns whether there is bad weather or they are attacked by pests and diseases, thanks to crop insurance. Before the program, I never felt excited.” – Fuseina
Thank you for enabling Fuseina and her family to build a sustainable livelihood through farming.
THE NEED Since our founding, Opportunity International has served people who have been overlooked by their countries, by other organizations, and by the world. Smallholder farmers make up over 80% of Africa’s farms; yet three out of four people living in extreme poverty are farmers who survive on one or two meals a day. Smallholder farmers only produce 20-30% of their potential yields. Generations of rural families living in poverty have been left out of earning a sustainable living.
THE SOLUTIONS Opportunity’s AgFinance Program is driven by a singular focus on scaling rural prosperity. Our end goal is to enable farmers to increase production, income, and employment to build thriving and resilient households in rural communities; we want farmers to grow more and earn more. We are committed to strengthening quality farming and increasing the flow of capital to farmers. Our solution-based model comes to life via: ► Training: Technology-enabled training in agriculture best practices allows us to reach the most marginalized (54% of clients live on less than $2.15/day and 92% live under $3.20/day). We can connect with prospective clients and design responses and interventions based on their needs. ► Access to financial services: Tailored agricultural loans enable farmers to maximize quality and 101 N. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150, Chicago, IL 60606 T 800.793.9455 W opportunity.org
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