500 million smallholders are responsible for 70% of the food consumed globally.
Did you know? Food production will need to increase by 70% in the next 3 decades to match the growing world population – expected to reach 10 billion by 2050.
Producers Direct works directly with smallholder farmers to improve food production and build resilience to changing climates and volatile markets.
Did you know? Just 15% of farmers attending traditional training return to their farms and apply lessons learnt. This is for two reasons:
1. training is not led by farmers, for farmers in their own language
2. farmers are unable to access financing necessary to make on-farm changes.
Producers Direct training is led by Promoter Farmers and our loans empower farmers to take action on their farms.
How can you help? Co-finance a loan to a smallholder farmers today and help protect the future of food.
Producers Direct Micro-loans:
Producers Direct developed a rotating credit fund (ROTA) to support smallholders to access necessary funds and take action on their farms. The fund was initially funded by Comic Relief and is now co-funded by Producers Direct, smallholder farmers and Producer Organisations.
Will You Join Us to Unlock Financing for Smallholder Farmers?
Will you contribute to our rotating credit fund and improve livelihoods, financial security, food production, and resilience for smallholder farmers today? Accessing funding will empower farmers with financing needed to take action on their farms, empowering farmers to transition from smallholders to small-scale business owners.
With your help, we want to grow the fund to $500,000 in 2018 and make loans available to 2,000+ smallholder farmers.
Micro-loans Impact:
- Increased incomes by >50% for farmers diversifying into new enterprises including dairy, bananas, beekeeping, and poultry.
- Improved resilience to changing climates as farmers are empowered with skills and financing to diversify and/or adapt on-farm.
- Improved food security (on-farm for smallholder families and globally with surplus food sold to markets).
Micro-loans Facts:
- ROTA funding is provided to farmers alongside our farmer-led bundled support services including access to quality training, markets and data for smarter on-farm decision making.
- $150,000 loaned to date to smallholder farmers and Producer Organisations
- 100% repayment to date
- Interest rates: 4%pa for farmers; 6%pa for Producer Organisation
- Co-financed by smallholder farmers and their Producer Organisations
- Once loans are repaid they are made available to new farmers
- Farmers make an application that is screened by Producer Organisations before due diligence led by Producers Direct
- Loans are disbursed by local lending institutions, with oversight by Producers Direct