MCE Empowering Sustainable Agriculture Fund LLC
Status: Approved investmentWhy disclosure?
FMO is committed to making publicly available relevant investment information that informs stakeholders and enables them to engage directly with FMO on its investments which, in turn, enhances our investment decisions, the design and implementation of projects and policies, and strengthens development outcomes. Learn more
In case of questions
In case of questions, please contact us at disclosure@fmo.nl
Disclaimer
The information as disclosed is indicative and provided on an "as-is/as available" basis for general informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or investment advice, nor as a commitment or an offer to arrange or provide any financing. The final decision to provide financing is subject to the terms and conditions of FMO in its sole and absolute discretion. When providing links to other sites, FMO bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. The information on proposed investment for high-risk investments is made available in the language relevant to the country or region where the bulk of operations take place. Translations of any information into languages other than English are intended as a convenience for local stakeholders. In case of any discrepancy, the information provided in English will prevail.
Who is our customer
MCE Empowering Sustainable Agriculture ("MESA" or the "Fund") is a recently established 9-year close-ended debt fund that aims to scale economic opportunities within local communities, enhance the climate resilience of smallholder farmers, and empower women throughout the agricultural sector in emerging markets. MESA will seek to provide capital to gender-inclusive agribusinesses throughout their lifecycle, either through direct lending or through financial services providers. The Fund is a wholly owned subsidiary of MCE Social Capital (“MCE”). The fund manager, MCE, is a U.S.-based non-profit impact investing firm with a solid 15+ years of track record.
What is our funding objective?
FMO funds will be lent out to agricultural-focused SMEs with significant exposure to women, and rural and agricultural-focused tier 2 and 3 financial service providers in Sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.
Why do we fund this investment?
The proposed facility provides an opportunity for FMO to support MESA in straightening the financial infrastructure for smallholders and rural MSMEs in emerging markets, which are considered one of the most financially excluded segments. By investing in MESA, FMO will contribute to job creation and strengthening local communities and livelihoods, supporting vulnerable segments of the population (women and rural communities) and enhancing climate resilience of these communities.
What is the Environmental and Social categorization rationale?
MESA has been categorized as E&S risk "B" based on FMO's policy, with full compliance with FMO's exclusion list; however, focused on agriculture, where the contextual risks can be important from a human rights perspective.
- Website customer/investment
- https://www.mcesocap.org/
- Country
- Global
- Sector
- Financial Institutions
- Publication date
- 1/24/2023
- Effective date
- 10/4/2023
- Total FMO financing
- USD 10.00 MLN
- Funding
- MASSIF
-
Risk categorization on environmental and social impacts, A = high risk, B+ = medium high risk, B = medium risk, C = low risk
Environmental & Social Category
(A, B+, B or C) - B