The farmers of Pangoa rely on their crops to survive. So for nearly twenty years, Esperanza Dionisio Castillo and her team decided to invest for impact for the long-term health of the land. Recognizing that a changing climate impacts the areas where coffee and cocoa can grow, Pangoa launched a reforestation initiative, planting trees that will create microclimates where these crops can thrive for years to come. Additionally, Pangoa’s agronomists regularly offer producers trainings on sustainability, from the proper use of compost to why it’s important to avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides.

The technical team from the Pangoa cooperative has taught us how to prune correctly, how to control disease, how to fertilize. We don’t spray. And when we plant new seedlings, we use our compost for fertilizer. We’ve learned how working with the organic program helps protect the environment.

Esperanza and her team are pioneering a model of how agriculture can transform communities. Their vision and determination are exactly what draws Root to invest in rural businesses across Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. We see the same potential for impact in these enterprises that Esperanza saw when she took the helm of Pangoa 20 years ago.

Read the full article on investing for impact at ImpactAlpha