Root Capital's mission is to invest in agricultural businesses in Africa and Latin America to grow rural prosperity and sustainable livelihoods. They focus on the "rural missing middle" - small and growing agricultural businesses that are too large for microfinance but have limited access to credit. Root Capital uses a three-pronged strategy of lending, capacity building, and research to support rural small and medium enterprises along agricultural value chains. They have seen significant annual lending growth in Africa over the past decade.

2. Mission
Root Capital’s mission is to grow rural prosperity by
investing in agricultural businesses that build
sustainable livelihoods in Africa and Latin America.

3. The Rural Missing Middle

4. %
Source: SCOPEinsight, “Mainstream Agrifinance: Enable producer organizations to invest their way out of poverty.” Compliments of AGRA: CIA - world-fact
book, Central bank of Congo, Central bank of Nigeria, Central bank of Kenya, Central bank of South Africa; BCEAO – Annual Report 2008
Capital Constraints on African Agriculture

5. Three-Pronged Strategy

6. Root Capital Performance

7. Africa Team & Geographic Focus

8. -
5
10
15
20
25
30
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
AnnualDisbursements,USD Annual Lending Growth, Africa

9. Food Security & Nutrition Portfolio
New lending window for Root Capital, financing SMEs all along domestic
and regional agri-food value chains. This will deepen our impact:
•Impact for Rural and Agricultural SMEs
• Impact on Smallholder Farmers as Producers
• Impact on Smallholder Farmers as Input Consumers
• Impact on Low-income Africans as Food Consumers

10. Inputs
Seeds & Plant Material
Soil Health
Pest Control
Irrigation
Machinery
Crop Insurance
Production
Smallholder Farmers
Nucleus Farmers/
Out Growers
Farming Cooperatives
SME Farmers
Large-Scale Commercial
Farmers
PH-Handling &
Processing
Granaries
Warehousing
Agro-Processing
Distribution
Wholesalers
Franchisors
Traders
Exporters
Value Chain for Staple Crops and Inputs

11. Contacts
Where can rural SME finance support your activities or beneficiaries?
Contact us:
• Barbara Ghansah, Ghana
– bghansah@rootcapital.org
• Diaka Sall, Senegal
– dsall@rootcapital.org
• Simplice Chigbo, Cote d’Ivoire
– schigbo@rootcapital.org