Mission

Root Capital was born from the premise that the greatest threat to fragile ecosystems worldwide is massive human poverty; their innovative lending model helps relieve both problems. The organization provides affordable loans and financial training to small- and medium-sized enterprises practicing sustainable natural resource management in rural areas of the developing world. Their clients include rural villagers operating in sustainable agriculture, wild-harvested products, certified fisheries, handcrafts, and ecotourism. Since launching in 2000, Root Capital has provided over 280 loans ranging from $25,000 to $750,000 with a gross value of over $50 million to over 140 community-based enterprises in 21 countries.