Small farmers in the Andes-Amazon region of Peru and Colombia produce large amounts of staple foods including maize (corn), potatoes, nuts, and various fruits, which are grown to be exported to international markets. A Mercy Partnership Fund Investee is working to support sustainable local enterprises to improve the livelihoods of small farmers and conserve the forest’s biodiversity.
Impact-first investor NESsT manages the Lirio Fund, which works to improve the social-economic conditions of local communities in the Andes-Amazon while promoting sustainable land management practices. The fund supports companies to implement Fair Trade and organic farming practices, employ members of their local community, and promote agricultural practices that conserve rather than tear down the forest.
Mercy Partnership Fund’s loan enables the Lirio Fund to invest in small and medium enterprises that face barriers to acquire the capital necessary to grow production in local economies. One such enterprise, Pebani, works with farmers in native communities in the Peruvian rainforest to produce medicinal plants and raw, natural products with high nutritional and medicinal value. Products sourced by Pebani have benefits that range from strengthening the immune system and increasing energy levels to skin rejuvenation. One of Pebani’s most well-known products is cat’s claw, a plant used to treat diseases such as arthritis, stomach ulcers, inflammation, and fevers. Pebani sources its products from 15 native communities. The enterprise provides farmers with training in forest farming techniques, supporting them to increase their production and income while conserving the environment.
NESsT is one of more than 60 organizations around the world that has received a loan from Mercy Partnership Fund to support its work. Read more about the work of Mercy Partnership Fund.