WOCCU to identify Haiti agricultural investment opportunities
Study will determine need, recommendations for further development
MADISON, WI (June 27, 2019) — World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU) will assess the agricultural investment landscape in specific target zones in Haiti, as part of a value chain assessment (VCA) being funded by USAID Haiti’s INVEST program.
WOCCU’s Haiti Agricultural Investment Mapping Activity will identify the need for any financial, institutional or infrastructure upgrades along the value chain used to move agricultural products from the farm to the consumer—and provide recommendations for development investment opportunities to address those needs.
“Currently, Haitian business and investment activities are heavily concentrated in Port-au-Prince. Many actors active in the finance and investment space in Haiti do not operate outside the capital. Leveraging WOCCU’s deep experience with working in remote and rural areas of Haiti, this work seeks to expand the reach of investment capital,” explained Megan O’Donnell, vice president of financial inclusion for World Council.
A team of experts will work alongside World Council’s two existing projects in Haiti—Home Ownership and Mortgage Expansion (HOME) and Accessible Finance Activity (“Finance Pour Tous’). The assessment launched in June will take about 10 weeks to complete. WOCCU’s final report to USAID/INVEST will identify a preliminary list of investment opportunities aimed at further mobilizing private capital for development priorities in Haiti.
Working out of our office in Port-au-Prince, World Council has a long history of delivering successful assessments in agriculture, microfinance and tourism through our Haiti Integrated Financing for Value Chains and Enterprises (HIFIVE) program. That includes a value chain study on the utilization of agricultural products in restaurants and hotels in the Marien Corridor region, and an analysis of value chain and enterprise finance data throughout the country. World Council will leverage many of our Haiti HIFIVE tools and experiences for the Haiti Agriculture Investment Mapping Activity.
About World Council of Credit Unions
World Council of Credit Unions is the global trade association and development platform for credit unions. World Council promotes the sustainable development of credit unions and other financial cooperatives around the world to empower people through access to high quality and affordable financial services. World Council advocates on behalf of the global credit union system before international organizations and works with national governments to improve legislation and regulation. Its technical assistance programs introduce new tools and technologies to strengthen credit unions' financial performance and increase their outreach.
World Council has implemented 300+ technical assistance programs in 90 countries. Worldwide, 87,914 credit unions in 118 countries serve 393 million people. Learn more about World Council's impact around the world at www.woccu.org.
