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The OPIC Blog
Featured Photo: Helping More Farmers Grow More FoodJuly 27, 2012The head agronomist at the Forestry Agricultural Investment Management (FAIM) farm in Rwamagana, Rwanda. FAIM is applying its plant propagation technology to improve crop yields, and obtained a loan from OPIC in 2012 to support its work in Rwanda, the most densely populated country in Africa, where many families suffer from food insecurity and malnutrition. While a majority of Rwandans are Can financial innovation save the world? Elizabeth Littlefield weighs in.June 01, 2012A recent piece in The Atlantic explores investors’ growing interest in Impact Investing. The piece describes impact investors and those “who want to use finance to make more food, cleaner water, better healthcare, smarter children and a richer bottom-of-the-pyramid.” It sounds like a tall order, but OPIC has long understood that investing in comon challenges such as access to education, financial inclusion, housing, health Investing in food securityMay 18, 2012President Obama delivered the opening keynote on May 18 to the Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security in Washington, D.C. The event precedes the G8 summit Saturday May 20 at Camp David, where leaders will meet to discuss the challenge of feeding a growing world. The focus of the event underscores how food security remains a major challenge: The U.S. Project Snapshot: Restoring food supply in HaitiMarch 01, 2012Site Haiti Sector Food Challenge Mitigating the risk involved in rebuilding a key flour mill that was destroyed in the 2010 earthquake. Solution OPIC provided Seaboard Overseas Limited with political risk insurance that covered both the rebuilding and expansion of the mill. Impact Restarting domestic flour milling in Haiti has increased the country’s food production capacity and domestic food security. 
OPIC in action: Small business loan improves food security, export opportunities in MoldovaNovember 23, 2011Site Moldova Sector Agriculture, Food Processing Challenge Lack of a domestic grain terminal meant Moldovan businesses had to export their agricultural products from ports in neighboring Ukraine. Solution A 2007 loan supported by OPIC for the construction by Kelley Grains Corporation S. R. L. of a new grain loading terminal and an oilseed crushing facility. Impact This highly developmental project 
Project profile: Brazilian plant supports growth of U.S. juice makerOctober 21, 2011Sambazon Inc. of San Clemente, Calif. was formed in 2000 when a couple of friends traveling in Brazil noticed the local popularity of the antioxidant-rich açai berry and saw an opportunity to introduce it into the U.S. They started by purchasing a container of frozen pulp and peddling it to juice bars in southern California, but as sales took off 
Project profile: Mexican food project in Russia fuels sales of American-made equipmentOctober 21, 2011American entrepreneurs build a Mexican food business in Russia using an OPIC loan to fund its expansion, ultimately driving sales of equipment from a supplier in southern California. That’s the short story behind ZAO Solntse Mexico, a 2007 OPIC loan recipient, which was so successful introducing Mexican food products to Russia that it generated $9 million in revenues in 2010. Food is a renewable resourceJuly 12, 2011Last month, OPIC approved nearly $500 million for five renewable resource private equity funds, easily surpassing a pledge OPIC President and CEO Elizabeth Littlefield made at the 2010 U.N. Climate Change Conference, to provide at least $300 million for private equity investment in renewables. The five funds, which were selected from 56 funds that responded to OPIC’s call for proposals, |
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