latest updates

Alterfin's approach to promoting gender equality is rooted in our constant quest for improvement within our cooperative or in managing our portfolio and partners.

Immerse yourself in the inspiring stories of Eleneora, an entrepreneur from Peru, and Sheila, Investment Manager in Latin America at Alterfin.

EDFI AgriFI, the European Union's initiative dedicated to fostering sustainable agriculture, reaffirms its commitment to Alterfin's mission by injecting an additional €3 million. This supplements the initial €6 million investment made in 2020 in collaboration with the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO).

After extensive consultation with our coop members, we are delighted to announce the launch of new gift cards.

Since 2010, Alterfin has provided crucial support to CPC, a coffee producers' cooperative in Laos. Through favorable loans with conditions tailored to their needs, our support has proven to be a decisive factor for the long-term development of CPC.

As the "Fair Trade Week" approaches in Belgium, from October 4th to 14th, we invite you to dive into the world of the Fairtrade label. Within our portfolio of sustainable agriculture, 62% of our partners are certified fair trade.

ACTB and Alterfin are pleased to announce an open call for proposals for companies and organizations interested in implementing the "In-kind Lending Product Development to Enhance Financial Access for Smallholder Farmers in Sierra Leone."

At Alterfin, we know that providing financing alone is not enough. We want to go the extra mile to strengthen our partners, ensure their long-term viability and to maximize their impact. That's why we've developed a technical assistance program, one of our cooperative’s greatest strengths.

Bailyk Finance, a partner of Alterfin for more than five years, is a perfect example of woman-led company. Spearheaded by Chinara Moldazhanova since 2013, this microfinance institution’s ultimate goal is to improve the lives of low-income populations in Kyrgyzstan. Chinara shares her views on how a predominantly female workforce ties in with the company’s pursuit of societal goals.

When it comes to our investment assessment criteria, societal and environmental impact is top of the list. Recently, we’ve taken another step to further our impact-focused efforts by including a new tool when assessing our potential partners: gender-lens investing. Caterina Giordano, Chief Impact Officer, explains how it works.

Our investment decisions are guided by our partners’ ability to improve the lives of local communities. But how do we measure the impact of their activities? Find out with Pallavi Hariharan, our Environmental & Social Impact Manager.

The impact of our investments — made possible by our co-op members— is at the heart of everything we do. We’re committed to measuring this impact thoroughly. That’s why we do more than just collect data: we also regularly go out into the field to hear what the final beneficiaries have to say, so that we have a better understanding of how our work improves the daily lives of these people.

At Alterfin, we’ve just successfully completed the B Corp recertification process. Of course, we’re pleased with this result; it confirms that our approach is the right one and that our continuous improvement process is effective.

This year, Fair Trade Week runs from October 5 to 15. As you undoubtedly know, fair trade is at the heart of everything we have done since Alterfin was founded in 1994. Today, two-thirds of our partners in the agricultural sector have this certification.

Eximcruz is a Bolivian agricultural company involved in picking and selling Brazil nuts. This is an important activity that ensures a decent income for local communities and helps protect the Amazon rainforest.

We are proud to announce the launch of the FEFISOL II solidarity fund to support micro-entrepreneurs and small farmers in sub-Saharan Africa.

Kentaste is a Kenyan company that specializes in the production of coconut oil and its by-products, all of which have organic and fair trade certification. It ensures that over 3,200 smallholder producers have a stable and predictable income.

Furuz is a microfinance institution that works in rural areas of western Tajikistan. It enables more than 3,500 micro-entrepreneurs involved in agriculture and livestock farming to finance the growth of their business to ensure a better income.