Partner
The Food Securities Fund has attracted an investment of 2 million euros from the ASN Biodiversity Fund, the first listed Dutch retail investment fund that focuses on the conservation, protection and restoration of biodiversity.
The ASN Biodiversity Fund has acquired shares in the Food Securities Fund, which focuses on Sub-Saharan Africa and provides additional working capital to agricultural companies that purchase products mainly from small farmers. By offering loans in the right places and on the right time in the agricultural supply chain, the fund enables its borrowers to provide farmers with more support before the harvest. By accompanying loans with conditions on, among other things, nature and climate performance, the Food Securites Fund actively promotes biodiversity. Over a period of 9 years, the fund aims to restore 100,000 hectares of land, have 2 million hectares cultivated more sustainably and have avoided the emission of 1 million tons of CO2.
Tanja Havemann, director and founder of Clarmondial: “It is fantastic that retail clients can now also invest in improving agricultural chains in Africa via the ASN Biodiversity Fund. We have been in good contact with the experts at ASN Impact Investors for years. The new Biodiversity Fund offers the opportunity to invest in the Food Securities Fund. The investment by ASN Impact Investors sends a clear signal to other investors about the sustainability and solidity of our strategy. It really is a stamp of quality.”
Karin van Dijk, Fund Manager of the ASN Biodiversity Fund: “The team of Clarmondial is very dedicated to contribute to biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation and reversing land degradation, while contributing to improved rural livelihoods. We are happy that through Food Securities Fund we can reach smallholder farmers in Africa, especially women and youth. The fund addresses a clear financing gap and by linking credit to the implementation of responsible practices, the Fund aims to contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes.”
About the Food Securities Fund
The Food Securities Fund is an open-ended investment fund that uses an innovative blended financing approach to promote sustainable development through agricultural value chains. It is an initiative of Clarmondial, the Swiss impact investing specialist and advisory firm. By making loans conditional on improvements in social, environmental and governance (ESG) performance, the fund promotes the adoption of sustainable and climate-smart agriculture, contributing to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and global environmental benefits ( GEBs).
The fund’s development was supported by Convergence, the global network for blended finance; the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through the Bureau for Food Security; the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC); and others. For more information, visit https://www.foodsecuritiesfund.com.
About the ASN Biodiversity Fund
The ASN Biodiversity Fund is an impact fund listed on Euronext that focuses on protecting, preserving and restoring biodiversity. It is also one of twelve funds managed by ASN Impact Investors. For 28 years, ASN Impact Investors has exclusively invested in companies, institutions and projects that, in addition to a financial return, aim to make a positive contribution in the field of climate change, biodiversity and human rights. Because only from a richer world can you continue to reap the benefits. The fund house was founded in 1993 and manages €4.7 billion (31 December 2021).
