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Oikocredit International Newsletter

October 2013


	Dear Oikocredit friends, In this issue, we’d like to present three of our partners in very tasty businesses: chocolate, mangoes and Darjeeling tea. Divine Chocolate, Les Saveurs du Sud and Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Private Ltd are three exceptional food producers – and they are all equity partners of Oikocredit. Our Canada, USA and UK & Ireland subscribers can subscribe to the local newsletters for Canada, USA and the UK & Ireland through the subscription links below. Kind regards, The Oikocredit team


	Partner stories

Marketing Senegal's mangoes

As part of Oikocredit’s strategic focus on agriculture, Oikocredit invests in several agricultural businesses in Africa, including Senegalese mango processing company Les Saveurs du Sud.

A truly Divine partnership

Oikocredit partner Divine Chocolate is a company “owned by cocoa farmers, made for chocolate lovers™”. The chocolate company was started by cocoa producing cooperative Kuapa Kokoo, and became a partner of Oikocredit in 2006. Today, Divine Chocolate is the only Fairtrade chocolate company partly owned (45%) by cocoa farmers. We spoke with Divine Chocolate managing director, Sophi Tranchell.

Darjeeling's environmental estates

Oikocredit has been working in India since 1978, investing in equity and providing loans to numerous social enterprises throughout the country. Its most recent equity investment is in Darjeeling Organic Tea Estates Private Ltd., known by its principal estate, Ambootia.


	International news

The role of inclusive finance

Oikocredit currently has 589 investments in microfinance organizations, totalling 80% of its current portfolio. Why is microfinance so important and how does it work? We recently spoke with Anton Simanowitz, a widely published UK academic and specialist working with Oikocredit, about the role of financial services in disadvantaged people’s lives.

Facts and figures

Read our latest facts and figures including our latest deals.

Investing in Peruvian alpacas

High in the Peruvian Andes, Oikocredit supports the traditional farming of alpacas, a South American herd animal and cousin of the Llama. Alpacas live in high altitude areas, between 3,500 to 5,000 metres above sea level, and are traditionally farmed for their high quality wool.

Meeting the demand for equity

Oikocredit has currently invested € 48 million in 45 organizations and intends to increase this to € 70 million by 2015. What’s behind this growth and what possibilities do equity investments hold? An interview with Stefan Harpe, manager equity investments.