The Fairtrade Access Fund (FAF) is a regulated evergreen fund founded in 2012 and operates in Latin America and Africa, offering lending products for cooperatives, processors and agricultural exporters who work primarily with smallholder farms and have a strong commitment to sustainable development. The fund currently supports around 250,000 sustainable and Fairtrade certified farmers.
The FAF aims to achieve the following objectives:
Since its inception, the fund’s portfolio has grown steadily with a strong focus on portfolio quality and diversity. It established a firm foot-hold in the agricultural finance space by developing a multi-regional and multi-crop portfolio, with following focus:
The fund provides part of its financing in form of long-term loans to players that traditionally face difficulties to obtain long-term finance for infrastructure projects.
Through its loan products the fund serves smallholder farmers and cooperatives that have been underserved so far and that crucially need financing in form of trade, harvest and long-term finance to stabilize their income streams.
The fund manager is an established partner of BIO and has ample experience in providing financial services to the food & agricultural sector. The other international sponsors of the fund add valuable expertise as well.
The fund provides technical assistance through a TA facility to enhance the investees' productivity, support certifications and improve governance.
Part of the fund’s portfolio is directed towards financial services providers that are not themselves part of the agricultural value chain but provide supporting services to producers and that address fair trade or sustainable certified smallholder farmers.
The fund's focus on sustainable and Fairtrade certifications ensures that farmers receive a premium on their produce, insuring them against fluctuations in the world prices and providing sustainable incomes.
Through its investments in sustainably certified agricultural projects the fund supports the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
All investees are Fairtrade and/or sustainable certified or in the process of obtaining the certification.
Fairtrade Standards encourage democratic leadership, administrative efficiency, transparent accounting and improved governance.
The FAF aims to achieve the following objectives:
Since its inception, the fund’s portfolio has grown steadily with a strong focus on portfolio quality and diversity. It established a firm foot-hold in the agricultural finance space by developing a multi-regional and multi-crop portfolio, with following focus:
The fund provides part of its financing in form of long-term loans to players that traditionally face difficulties to obtain long-term finance for infrastructure projects.
Through its loan products the fund serves smallholder farmers and cooperatives that have been underserved so far and that crucially need financing in form of trade, harvest and long-term finance to stabilize their income streams.
The fund manager is an established partner of BIO and has ample experience in providing financial services to the food & agricultural sector. The other international sponsors of the fund add valuable expertise as well.
The fund provides technical assistance through a TA facility to enhance the investees' productivity, support certifications and improve governance.
Part of the fund’s portfolio is directed towards financial services providers that are not themselves part of the agricultural value chain but provide supporting services to producers and that address fair trade or sustainable certified smallholder farmers.
The fund's focus on sustainable and Fairtrade certifications ensures that farmers receive a premium on their produce, insuring them against fluctuations in the world prices and providing sustainable incomes.
Through its investments in sustainably certified agricultural projects the fund supports the conservation of natural resources and biodiversity.
All investees are Fairtrade and/or sustainable certified or in the process of obtaining the certification.
Fairtrade Standards encourage democratic leadership, administrative efficiency, transparent accounting and improved governance.
Location: Belgium
Employees: 11-50
Investors 2
| Date | Name | Website |
| 28.12.2024 | Incofin In... | incofin.co... |
| - | Belgian In... | bio-invest... |
Mentions in press and media 2
| Date | Title | Description |
| 21.08.2025 | The hidden economy of smallholder farmers: It’s time we pay for more than just their crops | What if the most valuable contribution smallholder farmers make isn’t just the coffee you sip, the cocoa you crave, or the grains that fill your plate — but the land they preserve, the biodiversity they sustain, and the carbon they quietly ... |
| 24.12.2021 | Funding to let vanilla farmers enjoy the fruits of their labor as much as consumers do | Vanilla is one of the most popular spices in the world, but vanilla farmers usually don’t benefit much from the high prices end customers are willing to pay. This concern led Incofin investing in vanilla via the Fairtrade Access Fund. |