FAST Annual Report 2008

Transcription

Annual Report
Building businesses and livelihoods through
sustainable trade finance.
www.fastinternational.org
FASTAnnual
Annual
Report
2008
FAST
Report
2008 200
Annual Report 2008
Table of Contents
MESSAGES

From the Chair

From the President

From the Executive Director
2
3
4
INTRODUCTION

On the Road to Sustainable Development

Mission, Vision, Objectives

Key Operational Areas

Organizational Structure
6
8
9
11
FAST PROGRESS REPORT

Development

Secretariat Office Setup

Membership

Core Projects

Advocacy Work and Communications
15
16
16
18
22

Partnerships and Global Networks
Fundraising
23
25
ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT
26
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
30
ON THE HORIZON
31
Appendix: OUR MEMBERS
32
Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade
Suite C230
393 Rue St. Jacques
Montreal, PQ
H2Y 1N9
Tel: +1-514-759-6626
Fax: +1-514-759-6603
www.fastinternational.org
[email protected]
From the Chair
Amsterdam, March 31st 2009
Guus Rozendaal
Dear Friends of FAST,
I am pleased to introduce you to FAST’s first Annual Report for the year ending 31 December 2008.
While the Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade in its early stages of development for a number of
years, I am delighted to finally see the establishment of the FAST secretariat and the implementation of a portfolio of projects aimed at taking the sustainable trade finance sector to the next level.
FAST faces many challenges in light of the current financial and economic crisis. In terms of expanding access to credit when access is retracting globally.
Local and regional challenges however, are minor in comparison to those faced by small producers
seeking entry into international markets. FAST has estimated that the financing gap in the coffee
sector of sustainable markets alone is more than 800 million demonstrating the need for a stronger
and more coordinated sustainable finance sector.
During the forthcoming Annual General Meeting in Atlanta next April, I will be transferring my
position as Chair of the Board of Directors to the new Chair-person. I will continue to support FAST
and as FAST’s first European Regional Director I will focus my efforts on the establishment of FAST
offices in Europe and Africa.
I would like to thank all of the members of FAST’s transitional board, the secretariat staff, members
and donors for the support that they have provided in launching FAST into its first official year of
operations.
Guus Rozendaal
Chair of the Board of Directors
2
From the President
Montréal, March 31st 2009
Jason Potts
From the Ethiopian highlands to the rainforests of Nicaragua, to the foothills of Vermont and the
corridors of the Palais des Nations, FAST owes its existence to the creativity and inspiration of a
small group of lenders and other stakeholders from around the planet who, through the creation
of FAST, have expressed a vision for a new global economy founded on the principles of respect
and responsibility for our common well being.
Building this new economy will require many things but, above all, it will require cooperation and
compromise across all segments of the supply chain. How can we speak of sustainable consumption if the livelihoods of those producing the goods are not protected? How can we speak of sustainable production if consumers have no idea what the effects of their decisions on the ground are?
How can we speak of sustainable trade if commercial relationships are not, first and foremost,
relationships of care and respect between human beings?
FAST seeks to facilitate collaboration in the financial services sector so that lenders and other
stakeholders can benefit from greater efficiency and economies of scale in the delivery of finance
for sustainable production and trade. And although the areas of collaboration that FAST has on its
immediate horizon, shared impact assessment and shared tools for financial literacy training, to
note but two, are designed to meet the often technical needs of its members, those activities are
inspired by a deeper, human recognition, that the problems facing others on the planet are, in fact,
our own.
The past year has exposed the planet to the deepest economic crisis in recent memory. Brought
on almost single-handedly by the flight of credit, this crisis has revealed the critical role of access
to finance as a pre-requisite for global economic development. It is important to remember,
however, that the financial crisis the world now feels, is, in fact, little more than the status quo for
the majority of the world’s rural poor. If we were to learn nothing more than importance of equitable access to finance as a fundamental building block of sustainable development, the current
crisis would have served purpose enough.
As the world seeks an exit strategy from the current economic downturn, FAST has a critical role to
play in ensuring that this basic message is not lost. We look forward to carrying this message
forward with our members and supporters in the coming year so that a new global financial
system is predicated on inclusiveness and basic principles of sustainable development.
Jason Potts
President
3
From the Executive Director
Montréal, March 31st 2009
Noemi Perez
In its first year of operations our main organizational task was to transform into a reality what had
been written on paper as the FAST business plan. With the help of an active Steering Committee and
a dynamic secretariat team, I am delighted to report that FAST has established operations and is well
on its way towards creating real impacts in the development of the sustainable finance sector. I am
particularly motivated by the support expressed by many hundreds of stakeholders from around
the world who have demonstrated their commitment to improving access to finance for sustainable
producers through their respective contributions to the activities of the alliance.
Early in 2008, FAST established its headquarters and non-profit status in Montréal Canada.
In May 2008, the Specialty Coffee Association of America (SCAA) in Minneapolis provided a platform
to launch FAST’s first membership drive. The organization was received well by producer organizations, financial institutions, supply chain stakeholders and NGO’s alike. In one short year FAST has
recruited the support of 104 members in 25 countries of North, Central, South America, Europe, Asia
and Africa, reflecting the diversity of interests that led to its formation. FAST members include
financial institutions, producers, supply chain actors and NGO’s committed to sustainable trade and
development.
The SCAA exhibition also provided FAST with the opportunity to host the first “Meet the Lender
Event”, a panel event where lenders presented their services to coffee producers. For many coffee
producers, this was their first contact with lending institutions that were tailored to meet their
specific needs.
2008 was also the first year of project implementation for FAST. FAST successfully secured the necessary funds to commence work on three of its core projects: the Guarantee Facility for Social Lending
the Online Market Place and the Shared Impact Assessment Methodology and Toolbox. FAST has
also begun the work to put together the first Financial Literacy Toolbox “lite” version.
2008
2008
2008
4
“FAST has established operations and is well on its way
towards creating real impacts
in the development of the
sustainable finance sector.“
“ I am convinced that FAST and its members are working on a model that not
only makes good sustainable development sense, but also good business sense. “
We also see a growing number of cooperatives, financial institutions and other members who are
coming up with new ideas and projects. Some of the new and innovative ideas currently being
explored by FAST include a sustainable credit rating service, standardization of the due diligence
processes and syndicated loans.
While FAST’s initial focus concentrated on the coffee sector, FAST lending institutions and
members are now expanding their work to include other sectors within the sustainable commodity industry. One of these sectors that is greatly in need of financing is the sustainable forestry
sector. Based on this need, FAST is working collaboratively with the Global Forest & Trade
Network’s WWF, whose initiative is to eliminate illegal logging and improving the management of
valuable and threatened forests.
2008 is only the beginning. Reorienting investment towards undercapitalized producers and
sustainable development is not easy, but I am convinced that FAST and its members are working
on a model that not only makes good sustainable development sense, but also good business
sense.
As a young and dynamic organization FAST has had a year of new and exciting opportunities
throughout its operations. This was a year dedicated to the strategic set up and establishment of
FAST‘s operational activities. As we move into 2009, with the support of our members, donors and
partners, we look forward to building momentum with expanded project development and global
membership growth.
Noemi Perez
Executive Director
5
II N
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On the Road to Sustainable Trade
At the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the world was
awakened to the potential value of marketbased
approaches
to
sustainable
development—a sentiment codified in Principle 8 of the Rio Declaration. Today, more than 15
years later, if market-based approaches were
understood as an opportunity in Rio, they are
now recognized as a necessity.
Fortunately, the international community is
poised to take on the challenge. Voluntary
sustainability initiatives, particularly sustainability standards, have grown over the past two
decades. There is now at least one global
sustainability initiative addressing each major
commodity sector. Market shares for certified
“sustainable” products, depending on the
certification and country, are growing at rates
of between 20% and 100% per annum—far
outpacing growth rates for conventional
products.
As major companies and supply chains adopt
sustainability initiatives, as benchmarks for
their entire supply chains, moving sustainability into the mainstream will require considerable investment. In order to ensure that supply is
not a roadblock to the growth of sustainable
markets, there is a need for increased investment and financing for sustainable production
and trade.
One of FAST’s core objectives is to mobilize
finance for sustainable production and trade,
but the need to improve access to finance is
not limited to the need to increase investment
in sustainable production and trading practices.
Finance itself, as a condition for enabling
effective and strategic business planning and
risk management, is a key part of the sustainability equation. For the more than 2.5 billion
producers of commodities, the vast majority of
whom are smallholders living in poverty,
limited access to finance represents one of the
most important obstacles to their sustainable
participation in the markets.
Along with the growth in markets for sustainable products, there is also a growing market for
sustainable finance. To date, the field of sustainable trade finance, a sub-sector of the “social
finance” sector, has been led by a small group
of North American and European lending
institutions—institutions
with
portfolios
dedicated to financing producers serving
certified sustainable markets such as Fair Trade,
Organic, Utz Certified and others. However,
these lenders are currently unable to meet the
financing demands of SME producers serving
these markets.
FAST evolved out of a recognized need, identified through as series of meetings of financial
service providers organized by the Sustainable
Commodity Initiative and the Social Venture
Network, to facilitate communication and
cooperation among financial service providers
committed to financing sustainable producers.
Arising out of these meetings the International
Institute for Sustainable Development was
given the mandate to facilitate the establishment of FAST as a trade association of lenders
and other actors in sustainable supply chains.
“Finance itself, as a condition for enabling effective and strategic business
planning and risk management, is a key part of the sustainability equation.“
6
Launched in May 2007, and incorporated as
an International Not-for-profit in January
2008, FAST brings together a diverse group of
stakeholders for the first time to work collectively to improve the operational efficiency
and effectiveness of the sustainable trade
finance sector. Through the collective
guidance and participation of FAST’s
membership, a strategic alliance aimed at
improving the impacts of the sustainable
trade finance sector and supporting the
continued growth of sustainable production
and trade has emerged.
Although the sector of sustainable trade
finance is populated by would-be competitors, these institutions are joined by a
common mission for sustainable development and by their shared inability to meet
the full demand for finance in sustainable
production globally, particularly in the
developing world. By bringing the financial
service providers committed to sustainable
production together under a single roof, FAST
provides an opportunity for members to:
instrumental role in setting the foundation for
a global economy built on the principles of
sustainable development rather than one
reliant on stop-gap solutions to sustainability
emergencies as they arise.
Although its goals are ambitious, FAST is, first
and
foremost,
a
service-oriented
organization—aimed assisting private sector
actors in expanding the impacts and uptake of
sustainable supply chains through a more
efficient financial system. As such, FAST is
deeply committed to following a demanddriven strategy in its activities and project
development. This report, which summarizes
the year’s activities, is an account of FAST’s
initial efforts to provide such a service.
“FAST was established as one element
in a larger strategy for ensuring that
trade and sustainable development
are mutually reinforcing.“
o Develop partnerships and shared approaches for the delivery of finance
o Develop common tools for mitigating risk
and measuring impact
o Monitor and publish statistics on sustainable trade finance
o Identify and promote best practice in
lending
o Promote public and private investment in
sustainable finance
FAST was established as one element in a
larger strategy for ensuring that trade and
sustainable development are mutually
reinforcing. By linking improved access to
finance with widely recognized practices for
sustainable development, FAST is playing an
“FAST brings together a diverse group of stakeholders for the first time to work collectively to improve the operational
efficiency and effectiveness of the sustainable trade finance sector.“
7
Mission
What is “Sustainable Trade Finance” ?
The principal mission of FAST is to improve access to finance for
sustainable producers by identifying and implementing concrete
Sustainable Trade Finance is any system of
strategies for increasing efficiencies in the delivery of finance
financing that links the provision of credit
among financial service providers and other actors serving sustai-
and other financial services to sustainable
nable supply chains.
production and the trading relationships
related to sustainable production.
Vision
The
diagram below shows a model of how sustai-
FAST’s vision is a world where sustainable production and access
nable production and sustainable markets
to finance are recognized as inherently linked, and the correspon-
can provide a mutually supporting foundati-
ding investment necessary to support a global transition to sustai-
on for finance. This is the “Triangle of Sustai-
nable production is readily and equitably available to all produ-
nable Trade Finance.”
cers.
Objectives
Buyer
1
FAST aims to ensure the continued growth of sustainable produc-
Places order for sustainable products
tion and trade by increasing the number of SME producers who
Social Lender
2
successfully access quality trade finance. FAST seeks to achieve
Provides finance to producer (financed by
social investment)
these objectives through the development of joint projects, high
level advocacy, shared strategies and enhanced transparency.
Producer Organization
3
FAST’s most immediate priority is facilitating improvements in the
Delivers goods to buyer produced
through recognized sustainable practices
operational effectiveness of socially oriented lending institutions.
Buyer
4
Pays the social lender
Social Lender
5
Pays the producer minus interest and
principal
Buyer
(Importer, Distributor, Retailer)
4
1
3
Social Lender
(Financial Institution)
8
2
Sustainable Producer
5
KEY OPERATIONAL AREAS
Membership
Active involvement by its diverse membership
is, and will continue to be, key to ensuring
FAST’s longer-term success. FAST members
include organizations from all segments of
sustainable supply chains and fall into one of
two categories; Associate members and Full
members. Full membership is available to
financial service providers with one or more
portfolios dedicated to financing sustainable
producers (i.e. Socially oriented lenders).
Associate members include non-financial
service sector participants in sustainable supply
chains (i.e. Producers, traders, retailers, manufacturers and NGOs).
Managing Projects
The four core projects of FAST are:
In an effort to secure its practical focus, FAST has
adopted a project-based approach for addressing the immediate and long-term needs of its
members. In its project development FAST
focuses on ensuring the following key criteria
are met:
The Sustainable Small and Medium Enterprise
Online Lending Marketplace (SSMEOLM):
A project dedicated to bridging the gap between
producers and lenders through a streamlined
one-stop-shop information access point for both
parties creating a cost effective networking
system.
o That there is a demonstrable need and
support for the project across the FAST
membership
o That FAST leadership on the project will bring
value-added to the sector
o That a core group of FAST members
are willing to participate in the
implementation of the project
o That there is sufficient capacity within FAST
to implement the project
Throughout the stakeholder meetings leading
up the establishment of FAST, participants
identified four core projects as areas of high
need and where cooperation among financial
service providers and other stakeholders could
result in significantly greater success than
individual action.
The Financial Literacy Toolbox:
A project dedicated to consolidating and centralizing
access
to
financial
education
initiatives/materials of FAST members, offering
producers a deeper understanding of financial
management, price risk management and
commercial operations.
The Shared Impact Assessment Tool:
A project dedicated to enabling FAST members
to monitor, evaluate and promote the social and
environmental impacts of their services.
The Guarantee Facility for Social Lending:
A project dedicated to developing tools and
instruments for facilitating member access to
guarantees for FAST members.
9
Fundraising
Fundraising is an ongoing task for FAST. Although FAST
plans to roll out a number of fee for service products in the
near future, the challenge of facilitating access to finance
among the rural poor will require additional external
funding as FAST builds the economies of scale necessary to
operate on a fully self-financing model. FAST’s fundraising
strategy over 2008 was focused on securing donor support
for its core projects.
Advocacy and Communications
Advocacy
Part of improving access to finance for sustainable production revolves around increasing social investment into
sustainable supply chains. FAST, as a voice for the sustainable trade finance sector, is dedicated to demonstrating the
viability of the sustainable trade finance model and the
value of investments in sustainable supply chains. FAST
engages in advocacy by participating in global events
related to sustainable development, through project
promotion, bilateral negotiations with the private sector
investment community and by making representations
before National and Multi-lateral Public Authorities.
Communications: Networking and Knowledge Sharing
In order to achieve better communication along each of
these levels, FAST needs to make significant investments in
information gathering and the development of its communications infrastructure. FAST’s mission depends on effective communication along three levels:
1. The distribution of information to its members
2. The cross-fertilization of communication among
members
3. Communication with non-members stakeholders, policy
makers and donors.
10
ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
General Assembly
Core Assembly
Associate Assembly
Board of Directors
S
E
C
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E
T
A
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Executive
Direction
Administration &
Membership
IT
Communication &
Fundraising
FAST is governed by a structure made up of the following:
General Assembly
Board of Directors
The FAST General Assembly represents all
members (both Associate Members and Full
Members) and is the authoritative body of the
organization responsible for the approval of the
organization’s mission, accounts and business
plan. The General Assembly meets at least once
a year.
In 2008, the FAST Steering Committee, established to
commence the work of FAST, became the Transitional
Board of Directors of the organization.
Core Assembly
The Core Assembly of the Association consists
exclusively of Full Members (socially-oriented
lenders). The Core Assembly is responsible for
the election of two thirds of the Directors of the
organization. The Core Assembly meets at least
once year.
As the official representatives of the General Assembly, the Board represents the chief decision making
body of FAST. The FAST Transitional Board consists of
six Directors. Elections in 2009 will add additional six
Directors completing the Board at 12.
Over the course of 2008 the Transitional Board was
responsible for recruiting the Executive Director and
other Secretariat staff in 2008. The Board also
provided high-level strategic direction to FAST.
FAST International Secretariat
Associate Assembly
The Associate Assembly consists exclusively of
Associate Members. The Associate Assembly is
responsible for the election of one third of the
Directors of the organization. The Associate
Assembly meets at least once a year.
The FAST Secretariat is responsible for the day-to-day
management of the FAST office and activities. As a
small coordinating hub, with the equivalent of five
full time staff, the Secretariat’s work revolves around
the facilitation of communication and joint work
programs.
11
Our Board of Directors
Ellen Bogers is the Fund Manager Agri Fund at
Rabobank International, the Trade & Commodity
Finance department, since January 2007. Before
Rabobank, she worked 4 years for Cordaid, a Dutch
NGO, where she was an investment manager responsible for the loans & guarantee program in Latin
America. Previous to Cordaid, she spent 4 years
working with Atradius, one of the world’s largest
credit insurers, as account manager claims & recovery.
Ellen Bogers
Vice President of FAST
Gauke Andriesse
Guus Rozendaal
Chair of the Board
12
The core objective of the Sustainable Agriculture
Guarantee Fund is financial sector deepening, which
can be defined as "increasing access to financial
services for those who previously had restricted
or no access; and increased provision by financial
institutions to such clients of products and
services relevant to their needs." Within this
context the participants of the Sustainable
Agriculture Guarantee Fund aim to enhance the
access of small/medium-scale agricultural producers in developing countries to credit, for production, processing and marketing of their sustainable products on commercial and sustainable terms.
Rabobank International issues (partial) credit
guarantees to financial intermediaries on behalf
of the SAGF.
In 2000, Mr. Andriesse joined CORDAID as a manager
for microfinance and trade finance programs throughout various African countries. Now, after seven year
of experience, he is an Investment Officer of the Asia
Team, Sector Entrepreneurship, managing microfinance programmes in Indonesia and the Philippines.
CORDAID, a Dutch poverty relief organization
sponsored, in part by the Dutch Government works
in core areas including: direct poverty eradication;
civil society building; lobby and advocacy and
structural assistance and emergency aid. Cordaid
has long recognized the importance of financing for
disadvantaged agricultural producers and has
sought different ways for promoting producer
access to finance through its lobby and advocacy
work.
After a career at the International Division of the
Dutch Amsterdam-based ING Bank (1978-1991) Guus
joined Rabobank International in Utrecht where he
held various senior commercial positions in the field
of international trade & commodity finance and
structured bank-to-bank business, all related to
developing countries.
As per January 1st 2009 he joined FAST full-time;
currently based in The Netherlands; chairing the
Board of Directors; with specific responsibilities
for:
In April 2008, he accepted with enthusiasm an invitation from Rabobank to realize a long aspired careerswitch into agricultural & rural development finance,
a subject that has been close to his heart since many
years.
Mr. Andriesse has a degree in development economics, and has gathered many years of experience
with a career in the Commercial Banking sector.
After this, he worked for nine years on different
development projects in Ecuador. Some of them
related to development of the SME-sector, some of
them to integrated rural development, of which
microfinance was an integral project component.
Mr. Andriesse, currently sits on the board of
directors, as Vice President of the Finance Alliance
for Sustainable Trade (FAST).
o Building FAST's activities and presence in
Europe, Middle East and Africa and
o FAST's Global Credit Guarantee Program.
Jason Potts manages the Sustainable Markets and
Responsible Trade (SMART) Program at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Prior to joining IISD, Mr. Potts worked with the Trade,
Employment and Competitiveness Program at the
International Development Research Centre, as well
as the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s “Trade and Environment” Branch
on issues at the nexus of trade, environment and
international development. Mr. Potts has published on competition policy, commodity policy,
and the relationship between corporate social
responsibility, private standards and sustainable
trade.
Mr. Potts is also Coordinator and
co-founder of the Sustainable Commodity
Initiative.
Jason Potts
President, Treasurer, and
FAST Secretary
With more than fourteen years experience in the
corporate financial services field in both the UK and
Africa, Roy has dedicated the latter part of his career
to socially oriented lending. Between 2006 and 2007
Roy led the development and formation of the
Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade.
Under the direction of the International Institute for
Sustainable Development (IISD), Roy has successfully
generated significant support and awareness for
the FAST initiative that spans the development,
finance and producer communities. Roy currently works for FAST as Project Director as well as
sitting on the FAST Board. Roy also works as a
consultant with the World Bank's Commodity
Risk Management Group focusing on agricultural risk management and improving financial
access to agricultural sectors.
Roy Parizat
Mr. Foote is the Founder and CEO of Root Capital, a
social investment fund that is pioneering finance for
grassroots businesses in rural areas of developing
countries. Root Capital provides capital, market
connections, and financial education to small-andgrowing businesses such as farmer and artisan
associations that are caught in the gap between
microfinance and traditional banking.
Mr. Foote was named a Young Global Leader by the
World Economic Forum in 2008, and was named an
Ashoka Global Fellow in September 2007.
Mr. Foote sits on the Steering Committee of the
Aspen Institute’s Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE) and is a founding
Board member of the Finance Alliance for
Sustainable Trade (FAST). He is also a life
member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Mr. Foote holds a B.A. from Yale University and a
M.Sc. in development economics and economic history from the London School of Economics.
William Fulbright
Foote
Director of FAST
13
Our Secretariat Team
14
Jason Potts
Kim Kenney
President
Chief Strategic Officer
Former Communications
Officer
Until November 2008
Laura Carli
Noemi Perez
Communications
Assistant (Intern)
Executive Director
Pedro Avella
Roy Parizat
Communications and
Fundraising Manager
Project Director
Sara Pilote
Sean Watters
Administrator and
Membership Coordinator
Web Project Manager
FA
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SS
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Development
The Finance Alliance for Sustainable Trade was established in January 2008. The support provided by key donors, such as Citi Foundation,
Lodestar Foundation, SITQ, IISD and Montreal International, has been instrumental in bringing FAST onto the world stage with such a strong
launch.
Organizational Developments Leading to the Establishment of FAST through 2008
>
September 2003: The Social Venture Network
forms a coalition of lenders and other stakeholders
in North America under the name of “FAST”
>
December 2003: The Sustainable Commodity
Initiative hosts global conference on building
sustainable supply chains in the coffee sectorneed for improved access to finance established
as core area of need
>
January 2004: Sustainable Commodity Initiative
taskforce on sustainable finance convened
>
April 2005: Sustainable Commodity Initiative, in
coordination with the Social Venture Network,
hosts stakeholder meeting on financing needs in
sustainable markets at the SCAA
>
February 2006: Sustainable Commodity Initiative
hosts stakeholders meeting on finance needs in
sustainable markets at EAFCA
>
May 2006: IISD receives mandate to establish a
multi-stakeholder trade association under the
name of “FAST”
>
May 2007: FAST officially launched at the SCAA in
Long Beach
>
December 2007: Decision made to locate head
office in Montreal, Qc. Canada
>
January 2008: FAST incorporated as a Not-forprofit in Canada
>
January 2008: Establishes its International Secretariat in Montreal
>
February-July 2008: Secretariat staff is recruited
>
June-December 2008: Design and set-up of office
policies and procedures, accounting systems.
Fundraising for core projects and implementation
of the first phase of three projects of FAST.
Finalization of revised by-laws.
Organizations Involved in the Establishment of FAST
Calvert Foundation
Citi Foundation
Coffee Support Network
Conservation International
Cooperative Coffees
CORDAID
Forest Trade
German Marshall Fund
Green Development Foundation
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
La Ville de Montreal
Le Government du Quebec
Montreal International
Ogilvy Renault
Rabobank
Root Capital
Shared Interest
SITQ
Starbucks
Sustainable Agriculture Guarantee Fund
TTechnoserve
echnoserve
TTraidcraft
raidcraft
f
TTransFair
ransFair USA
USAID
World Bank
15
Secretariat Office Setup
Shortly after FAST was legally registered as a Canadian non-profit organization in January 2008, the
International Secretariat office opened in the World
Trade Center, within the heart of the City of Montreal,
Qc, Canada.
By June 2008 FAST had a full team in place consisting
of the President, Executive Director, Project Director,
Communications Officer, Web Manager and Administrator and Membership Coordinator. Guided by the
Board of Directors, the FAST Secretariat was well
positioned to begin the task of organizational set-up
and project roll-out.
FAST Secretariat Staff (July 2008)
In the second half of 2008, the main focused areas of
activities of the Secretariat office included: administration of the organization, membership recruitment,
membership and stakeholder communication,
strategic development and fundraising.
World Trade Center (Montreal, Qc, Canada)
Membership
In 2008, FAST reached global membership of 104
organizations based in 25 different countries throughout the world. At present, the majority of FAST’s
Full Members come from developed countries
signaling a need to secure higher-level lender
participation from developing countries. For a full
list of members see appendix I. Our members.
“The membership of FAST is characterized by
being international and composed of stakeholders from different backgrounds. Its ever
growing number shows the importance and
necessity of FAST. Sustainable producers and
socially oriented lending institutions make up
Sara Pilote
Administrator and
Membership Coordinator
the majority of the FAST membership but the Alliance works to
Similarly, Latin American producer organization
membership is currently far larger than African or
Asian producer membership. Although this reflects,
to some degree, the level of market development of
sustainable production across the regions, FAST, as a
catalyst for finance, has an explicit leadership role to
play in facilitating entry into sustainable markets in
these regions.
serve all parties by giving them the chance to know each other,
connect and network so that financing can be delivered more
easily. Ultimately, our purpose is to serve our members so it is
extremely important that we maintain continual communication with them to know what their needs are.”
FAST members by region
Latin America
Can. US. Mex.
Africa
Asia
Europe
TOTAL
16
40%
25%
13%
7%
15%
100%
42
26
13
7
16
104
Beneficiaries
Full members
Full members consist of socially-oriented financial service providers that FAST defines
as lenders and investors with one or more portfolio specifically dedicated to financing
internationally recognized “sustainable producers”. At present, the term “sustainable
producer” is defined as any organization either participating in, or seeking participation in a sustainability initiative compliant with the ISEAL Code of Good Practice. Full
members, in conjunction with Associate members, are responsible for shaping the
direction of the organization, for leading project development and implementation
and electing two thirds of the Board members.
Associate members
Associate members consist of any stakeholder to sustainable supply chains with a
commitment to promoting access to finance for sustainable producers. Associate
members consist of buyers, producers, traders, NGOs and financial service providers
with no history in sustainable trade finance. Beyond their role in shaping the vision of
the organization, associate members represent a key strength of FAST by ensuring
that financial service providers have better ways of communicating and coordinating
with other supply chain stakeholders thereby completing the “trade finance triangle”.
Involvement
Over the course of its first year of operation, FAST has benefited greatly from the
active participation of many of its members in carrying out its work. Building from the
series of multi-stakeholder meetings that led to FAST’s establishment, FAST has
focused on ensuring the continued involvement of members through
co-organization of events and project implementation. Whether through the
co-organization of informational events, booths in trade shows or joint project
design, FAST has taken its baby steps into the world with the gracious assistance of its
members.
In 2009, FAST will continue to involve members in through joint events and project
implementation, but will also seek to use new tools for ensuring ongoing member
involvement including:
o Hosting of the first AGM in April 2009
o Launching of virtual “members meetings”
o A new, member-led project design process
“We have been a supporter of FAST since the
beginning as we see the great importance of
more coordination and cooperation in this
fast growing sector. We expect FAST to
encourage better coordination between
financin g entities, act as a spokesman for
this emerging sector and develop new
products that will benefit producer organizations and their members.“
GAUKE ANDRIESSEN - CORDAID
“Root Capital is a proud co-founder of FAST.
At Root Capital, we see the importance of
FAST as a place for social lenders and other
stakeholders to “get down to brass tacks”
and seek meaningful solutions to current
bottlenecks in the delivery of sustainable
trade finance. At present there is no other
forum specifically dedicated to building
joint strategies and economies of scale in
the delivery of sustainable trade finance,
hence the need for FAST.”
WILLY FOOTE - FOUNDER AND CEO OF
ROOT CAPITAL
FAST members by type
NGOs
Lenders
Cooperatives
Producers n.c.
Supply chain
Certification
Media
TOTAL
25%
14%
29%
4%
25%
2%
1%
100%
26
15
30
4
26
2
1
104
17
Core Projects
FAST’s business plan revolves around the launch of
four core projects. These projects were identified
and vetted during a series of multi-stakeholder
meetings prior to the establishment of FAST and
represent key areas where stakeholders viewed
collaboration among financial service providers,
through FAST, as a key asset in carrying them
forward.
with existing providers of sustainable
guarantee services.
o
Substantial development of the SME Online
Lending Marketplace. Rollout / launch
scheduled April 2009.
o
Substantial development of the Social
Impact Tool – first phase funding secured,
work underway
o
Commencement on the development of
the Financial Literacy Toolbox – Work
towards the development of the “Lite”
version of the toolbox.
o
Further collaborative project identification,
modification and design;
Accomplishments
o
Successful fundraising for key projects,
enabling three core projects to commence
development (Guarantee Services, Shared
Impact Assessment Methodology and
Toolbox, Online Lending Marketplace);
o
Substantial development of the Guarantee
Facility project with partnerships identified
The Sustainable Small and Medium Enterprise Online Marketplace (SSMEOLM)
Objective
The first phase of the
project is supported
by Oxfam Novib.
The SSME Online Marketplace aims to bridge the gap
between the supply of and demand for financing for
SSMEs, by helping SSMEs and social lenders connect
more efficiently.
The project is being led and managed by the FAST Web
Project Manager Sean Watters under the direction of
the FAST Secretariat. Phase 2 will see the development
of a project steering committee comprised of socially
oriented lending institutions and SME producer
organizations.
Development
Timeline
In 2008 FAST initiated the development of the
SSMEOLM. The Online Marketplace will provide the
first one-stop-shop for producers and other stakeholders to identify the financial service providers
relevant to their operations. At present, producers
must know the names and contact information of
potential lenders before they can identify the terms
of lending available.
> Phase 1:
Commencement date: December 2008
Completion date: May 2009
The Online Marketplace will enable any sustainable
SME to search for a lender that offers services for their
“type” of enterprise based on a variety of factors
including certification(s) held, product type(s),
location of enterprise, loan size required and loan
term desired.
18
>> Phase 2:
Follow up work will be undertaken in mid 2009 to
develop the second phase of the marketplace with the
launch of Phase II anticipated in early 2010. This phase
will increase the functionality of the marketplace by
enabling SSME’s to apply electronically / online for
lending services. SSME’s will be able to complete an
electronic application form, upload supporting
application data (financial statements and other
relevant business data) and have the applications sent
directly to one or all suitable lending institutions.
Shared Impact Assessment Methodology and Toolbox
Objective
By providing socially-oriented lenders with the tools
and methodology that they need to effectively assess
the social impacts of their lending activities, the
Shared Impact Assessment project will provide tools to
improve the effectiveness of lending and increase
overall investment in SSME sectors.
Development
This project will create a new, rigorous and universally
agreed on standard for measuring and reporting the
social impact of lending institutions, ensuring that
lenders are maximizing their impact and that investors
are able to see the social impact generated by their
investments. A generic methodology and process for
reporting and recording social impact will provide a
basis for new investors to invest in the sustainable
trade finance sector.
The first phase of the project began during the end of
2008 and revolves around the identification of existing
social impact methodologies and best practices. The
project has begun with a multi-stakeholder interview
process to identify, assess and evaluate innovative and
alternative approaches to impact assessment of
financing. This will be followed by an analysis of the
gaps in existing tools for impact assessment. The
findings of this initial analysis will be presented to
stakeholders in April 2009 where a plan for moving
forward with the development and implementation of a
common methodology will be determined.
The second phase of this project will begin in June 2009
and will rely heavily on a consultative process in order to
ensure that the resulting methodology is relevant and
useful for FAST members.
The project is being developed by FAST in collaboration
with Triodos Facet. FAST is leading the project overseeing project funding, research, development, monitoring,
execution and evaluation. Triodos Facet will conduct the
project research, will co-develop the impact assessment
and sustainability reporting methodology, and will work
actively to secure funding in coordination with FAST.
The donors supporting
the first phase of this
project are HIVOS and
Triodos Foundation.
Timeline
> Phase 1
Commencement Date: December 2008
Completion Date: June 2009
Guarantee Facility
Objective
Providing greater access to business-critical finance for
sustainable SME’s who are currently excluded from
existing lending systems by expanding the provision of
guarantee services.
Development
The first phase of the Guarantee Facility project
commenced in 2008. This first phase consists of examining the existing guarantee schemes that are available
and identifying those which the socially oriented
lending institutions could access. Once potential
guarantee services have been identified the project will
work to assist lenders in accessing these guarantee
facilities. It should be noted that there are many guarantee services currently in operation, each with their own
criteria for who they provide services to, and often they
are not widely publicized. This phase of the project aims
to identify those that might be of use to the socially
oriented FAST lenders and raise their awareness of these
schemes and how they can utilize them to further their
lending and organizational objectives. This phase will
place an emphasis on “enhancing access” through
“improved information” for social lenders.
The project is being led by Guus Rozendaal, EMEA Regional Director of FAST. Guus has significant experience of
guarantee programs having led the establishment of the
Rabobank International Sustainable Agricultural
Guarantee Fund.
Timeline
Work is already commencing on working alongside
partner institutions to identify guarantee services to be
developed and introduced. The timescales for this
project are reliant on sufficient funding becoming
available from partners and other investment organizations. However the first guarantee service is hoped to be
live by end 2009, with further guarantee services
introduced during 2010.
The first phase of this
project is supported by
Citi Foundation, the
International Institute
for
Sustainable
Development
(IISD)
and Rabobank.
> Phase 1
Commencement date: December 2008
Completion date: May 2009
19
Financial Literacy Toolbox
Objective
The objective of this project is to increase access to
affordable finance for sustainable SMEs by improving
producer and SME financial management capacity
and supporting the development and delivery of a
comprehensive and generic set of financial training
materials.
Development
The basic approach adopted by the Financial Literacy
Toolbox project is to build the financial, accounting,
and business management skills of sustainable trade
SMEs by providing access to a comprehensive,
modular package of financial literacy training materials. By making these materials available to producers
and FAST-accredited training-providers, the transaction costs associated with widespread financial
literacy training are significantly reduced.
FAST, as a collaborative initiative between financial
service providers, is uniquely situated to support and
manage the delivery of such a toolbox in a neutral
and objective manner, which serves the needs of
both producers and the financial service community
at a broad level.
The work on the FLTBX has commenced in 2008 by
bringing together FAST members for the development of a ‘lite’ edition of the financial literacy toolbox.
The lite version of the FLTBX will be composed of a set
of basic materials designed for, and available to,
producers and producer organizations free of charge
for non-commercial purposes."
The core financial literacy tools used in the ‘lite’
edition will also serve as the foundation of a more
complete toolbox to be developed and delivered in
the subsequent phase of the project. The ’lite’ edition
will include modules covering the following themes:
basic financial management, basic accounting
principles, basic credit concepts, basic risk management and basic tools for financial institutions.
FAST is actively seeking funding to further develop
this project.
Future Projects
2009201020112012
Over the course of FAST’s first year, members and
other stakeholders have identified a number of new
project opportunities. As a result of these discussions, FAST is currently exploring projects in the
following areas:
SME Credit Reference Service and Rating Tools
Discussions with sustainable trade organizations and
institutions identified a currently unmet desire for a
central credit reference service for sustainable SME’s
which would provide credit ratings, speeding up
producer access to finance and improving lender risk
assessment processes.
Discussions will continue with partners and
stakeholders to determine what FAST’s role should
be in the development and introduction of an
effective and value-adding credit reference service
for the sustainable sector.
20
Mechanism for Sharing Due Diligence
Where multiple lenders are working with the same
SME’s they potentially duplicate their efforts of data
collection and data analysis. Sharing of due diligence
outputs between lenders has the potential to increase efficiency by reducing duplication. SME’s also have
the potential to benefit by avoiding repeat visits from
lenders. Streamlining the process for producers will
reduce the distractions that remove them from their
day to day activities.
Standardization of Due Diligence
At present, financial service providers develop and
manage their own due diligence processes. The
sharing of due diligence as well as the simplification
of producer preparation for due diligence visits could
be enhanced through the adoption of more standardized due diligence processes across FAST members.
This project would explore the practicality of a
standardized due diligence template for potential
application across FAST members.
Integrated Financial Auditing Tool
FAST members are specifically committed to advancing
access to financial services for sustainable producers. Sustainable producers, on the other hand, are usually obliged to
undergo a series of sustainability audits as a requirement of
their being recognized as “sustainable” by one or another
sustainability system. The verification of management
systems is a critical component of these audits, which also
usually include some degree of oversight of financial
management. This project would explore the potential for
integrating a set of key due diligence criteria within the
auditing process so that producers and lenders might have a
more robust basis for determining borrowing capacity. The
project would begin with a series of consultations among
FAST members, select certification agencies and auditors.
Financial Literacy Training Materials Developed for Specific
Commodities
Development of financial literacy tools for specific sustainable commodity sectors with training materials tailored to the
exact needs and requirements of these sectors. The materials
would be adapted from the generic FLTBX training materials
and additional commodity specific training materials developed. FAST is a participant in the Sustainable Commodity
Assistance Network (SCAN), which is currently in the process
of building a global framework for technical assistance
delivery to facilitate SME entry into sustainable markets
across a variety of commodity supply chains.
Data Shareport
Lenders gather a significant amount of valuable information
during their daily operations from both publicly available and
non-public sources. All lenders stand to benefit from being
able to access this information in a timely manner and acting
upon it promptly. A mechanism may be developed for
sharing such information among FAST members, enabling
them to gain speedy access to time critical data while
reducing duplication in their data-gathering efforts.
Syndicated lending and larger facility sizes
A program of work to standardize mechanisms for providing
producers with syndicated loans will be established. This has
the potential to enable producers to apply for larger sized
loans than they are currently available from individual
lenders.
21
Advocacy and Communications
Advocacy
of sustainable trade.
FAST began its advocacy work in 2008 by establishing relationships with key players and participating in events and activities designed to generate
awareness of the need of financing. FAST has focused
its efforts on making sure the role of the social
lending institutions is recognized and that more
investors know and understand the work of sustainable trade finance.
eNewsletter
In 2009, FAST will begin expanding its advocacy
toward local banks in Central America through
Project Cambio of the Central American Bank of
Economic Development (CABEI) to promote investment in sustainable trade finance through the implementation of concrete actions that will be identified
and included in a Memorandum of Understanding.
Directory of Lenders
The Global Forest and Trade Network (GFTN) of WWF
has identified improving access to finance for smaller
sustainable forestry operations as a key priority for
advancing their work. In October 2008 GFTN
launched a research process aimed at identifying the
level of financing need of GFTN participants in
achieving certification as well as a review of existing
financing mechanism available in the market today.
The research will conclude in 2009 with an assessment of steps that need to be taken to improve
access to finance for the forestry sector, particularly
GFTN members. The overarching goal of this initiative is to create the necessary links to achieve responsible finance in the forestry sector and to facilitate
market links between responsible investors and
responsible forestry operators, especially as this
applies to small and medium sized operations.
Within this context FAST and GFTN will be working
together in 2009 to launch sustainable trade finance
activities in the forestry sector.
Communications
The FAST communications department is responsible for administering and rolling-out a detailed series
of communications activities focused on members,
stakeholders (not yet members) and external organizations. Communications are aimed at promoting
the work of FAST, publicizing the needs of SME’s for
affordable business finance and generating increased awareness and knowledge of the financing side
22
FAST produces a quarterly newsletter, which is sent
out electronically to all members and stakeholders.
The newsletter is fully tri-lingual and includes
updates on membership, events, fundraising, and
other news concerning the association and sustainable trade financing.
This tool gives the contact details and information
about the services that the FAST financial institutions
provide to sustainable producers. Through this
directory, members can contact different lending
institutions to access credits. The directory is available
in English, Spanish and French.
Partnerships and Global Networks
Memorandums of Understanding
These memorandums are tools that reflect collaboration between FAST and its partner organizations and
include concrete actions that the parties involved will
be carrying out in close coordination.
investment management BV. The agreement signed
established a collaborative relationship between the
three organizations to undertake mutually desirable
activities, primarily to secure project funding, develop
and implement FAST’s Shared impact assessment
methodology and toolbox.
In March 2008, FAST signed its first Memorandum of
Understanding with Montreal International to
facilitate the establishment of the FAST Secretariat in
Montreal, Qc, Canada and its operations.
In October 2008, FAST signed a Memorandum of
Understanding with Triodos FACET BV and Triodos
Global Networks
In 2008, FAST began to establish and develop a
strategic network of contacts in the sustainable trade
industry. The FAST Board of Directors and staff
members played an essential role in FAST’s social
networking activities, representing FAST as a
uniquely global association of financial service
providers, producer organizations and key stakeholders committed specifically to sustainable trade
finance. Some of the networking highlights of 2008
include:
LOGO
May 2008: The SCAA FAST Membership Launch. This
event provided an excellent venue for the FAST
Secretariat staff to meet its perspective members and
many key stakeholders including lending members:
Root Capital, Alterfin, responsAbility, RaboBank
Agrifund, Shared Interest, Verde Ventures, among
others. As well as producers, members of the supply
chain, and NGOs from different countries.
May 2008: FAST Informational Event. Co-organized and
co-hosted with Rabobank and Cordaid, FAST held it’s first
European informational event. More than 40 stakeholders working in sustainable supply chains attended the
event, which provided a first overview of the FAST core
projects and strategic plan. The event provided the
basis for securing funding for Phase I of several of the
core projects.
June 2008: The INAISE Annual Conference. INAISE is a
global alliance of social economy financial service
providers. The majority of INAISE members focus on the
delivery of local finance. Through it’s presence at the
annual conference FAST was able to establish initial
conversations with financial service institutions committed to sustainable development. Several of these discussions led to new memberships with FAST.
23
“The Ramacafe International Coffee Conference has welcomed FAST
in Nicaragua this year to reach a great audience of coffee producers,
cooperatives, associations and banks on the subject of Sustainable
Finance. FAST represents the first opportunity for Central American
producers and other stakeholders of the supply chain to understand
what types of sustainable trade finance opportunities are available
to them when seeking international market penetration. Although
there is clearly a lot of work to do, FAST is taking the sector in the
right direction.“
HENRY HUECK. PRESIDENT OF RAMACAFE,
ORGANIZING COMMITTEE, 2008-2009
September 2008: RAMACAFE International Coffee
Conference (Nicaragua). In addition to expanding its
membership, this event provided the secretariat with
the opportunity to strengthen relationships with key
actors like Rainforest Alliance, UTZ Certified, the
Green Global Found and ECOM group.
October 2008: Social Entrepreneurship Summit and
Social Finance Forum, Toronto, Canada. This event
allowed FAST to network with key players in the Social
Financial Sector in Canada.
World Bank and the IFC. FAST started conversations
with the World Bank Group to identify concrete
opportunities for collaboration in the technical
assistance and financial literacy arena.
October 2008: Central America. The launch of
discussions between FAST and Project Cambio of the
Central American Bank of Economic Integration
(CABEI) to undertake mutually desirable activities,
primarily to transform capital flows so that preferential lending and credit terms are directed to sustainable producers in the following countries of the
Central American Region: Guatemala, El Salvador,
Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica.
24
During the year FAST also initiated collaboration with
key players in the forestry sector including the Global
Forest & Trade Network (GFTN) of the World Wildlife
Fund (WWF) so that FAST can begin advocacy work in
this sector.
In 2009, FAST looks forward to carrying out joint
activities to promote sustainable trade finance in the
Forestry Sector.
FINANCE ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE TRADE
SUMMARIZED STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN NET ASSETS
FOR THE TEN MONTHS PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008
2008
Invested in
fixed
assets
$
-
BALANCE, BEGINNING
Acquisitions of fixed assets
Excess of revenues over expenses
Deferred contributions related to fixed
assets
11,672
-
BALANCE, ENDING
1
Total
$
-
(11,672)
-
-
(11,672)
11,672
-
-
-
-
1
corresponding to :
Depreciation of fixed assets
Amortization of deferred
contributions related to fixed
assets
28
Unrestricted
$
-
(2,164)
2,164
-
FINANCE ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE TRADE
SUMMARIZED STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS
FOR THE TEN MONTHS PERIOD ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2008
2008
$
REVENUES
Contributions - Montreal International
Contributions - International Institute for Sustainable Development *
Contributions received in goods and services
Amortization of deferred contributions related to fixed assets
Interest
138,328
102,888
91,974
2,164
2
335,356
EXPENSES
Salaries and fringe benefits
Consulting fees
Travelling and lodging
Relocation expenses
Office supplies
Telecommunications
Professional fees
Insurance
Fixed assets amortization
Training
Publicity
Meals
Repairs and maintenance
Interest and bank charges
Contributions received in goods and services
85,740
66,210
19,831
12,849
8,450
1,961
15,402
3,497
2,164
1,112
19,660
5,267
546
693
91,974
335,356
-
EXCESS OF REVENUES OVER EXPENSES
* The grant from International Institute of Sustainable Development was made possible by contributions to it
by Citigroup Foundation and Lodestar Foundation.
This is a summarized version of the financial statement. For a complete version of the statements visit www.fastinternational.org or you
may requested it at [email protected]
29
CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Strengthening Advocacy
In addition to the challenge of bringing its initial
projects to a point where they can deliver the needed
services for members, FAST faces a number of ongoing
challenges and opportunities including:
Securing Long-term Financial Stability
The Challenge: To date FAST has succeeded in raising
sufficient funds to start work on three of its four core
projects as well as a substantial portion of its operational costs for the coming year. However all projects still
require significant further investment from donors to
complete their full development and achieve their
objectives.
The Challenge: One of the principle challenges in
promoting investment in sustainable trade finance
is the absence of clear data on the state of sustainable markets as well as on the need for, and performance of, sustainable trade finance activities to
date.
Opportunity: FAST will focus on building a sound
information base for its use, and that of its members
on the needs and opportunities associated with
sustainable trade finance. Through its roll-out of the
social impact assessment project, FAST will lead a
process for establishing performance benchmarks
applicable to the sustainable trade finance sector.
FAST will complement its advocacy strategy with the
development of a series short policy briefs.
Continuing Membership
Member Satisfaction
Recruitment
and
Opportunity: FAST will continue its project-based
fundraising until sufficient resources are available to
carry out the four core projects. As the organization
grows in membership and voice, we are optimistic that
donors will be increasingly receptive to our message.
As a result, building our membership-base remains an
important and related objective.
Current Economic Uncertainty
30
Sara Pilote, Henry Hueck (Cafetalera los Compadres S.A), Noemi Perez
The Challenge: One of FAST’s objectives is to increase
investment in sustainable trade finance. The financial
crisis has reduced the willingness of investors and other
major commercial players to expand into new arenas
and will likely have a chilling affect on the willingness of
such actors to “experiment” with new financing models.
The Challenge: First year membership recruitment
was a great success with a large number of members
joining the association. Now that FAST has a solid
membership base, it is absolutely essential that
FAST succeed in meeting the needs of its members
with tangible products and services.
Opportunity: FAST will continue its dialogue with the
commercial sector seeking ways, within the restructuring which is underway, to secure a sound footing for
sustainable finance within the new financial equation.
The current financial crisis has provided a clear
demonstration of the importance of finance to sustainable economic development and, with it, raised
awareness of the importance of access to producer
finance.
Opportunity: FAST will focus its efforts on bringing
the core projects and key communications products
to a stage of completion where they can bring
concrete value to members. The completion of a
suite of products and services will provide a springboard for attracting other socially-oriented lenders
without existing portfolios in sustainable trade
finance, FAST’s next member target group.
O
ON
N T
TH
HE
E H
HO
OR
R II Z
ZO
ON
N
FAST has had a busy first year. Activities throughout the first
five months of 2008 were principally focused on getting the
Montreal headquarter and the FAST office up and running.
In the spring of 2008, FAST began its membership drive, the
fundraising process for its four core projects, and arranging
a series of “meet the lender” events. By the end of the year,
the office had secured initial Phase I funding for three of the
four core projects. Given the task at hand, the year has been
an unequivocal success. Notwithstanding the early accomplishments however, FAST’s three core projects were only
just beginning by the end of 2008 meaning that FAST is yet
to reach its full potential in project and service delivery in
the medium and long term.
In light of the global nature of FAST’s membership and
activities, the FAST Board of Directors has recognized the
need to establish closer relations with stakeholders and
actors in the field. As noted by recently appointed FAST’s
Regional Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa, Guus
Rozendaal “FAST’s ability to deliver meaningful services in
the African region will be a key testing ground for demonstrating the value and potential of FAST as a vehicle for transitioning into sustainable supply chains.” Building on this
recognition, FAST has begun a process for the establishment of two new offices—one in Amsterdam and another in
Nairobi.
The Amsterdam office, or European Regional Office, will
focus on coordinating European support and partnerships
among European members as well as overseeing project
development and management for African and Asian
projects. As a complement to the European Regional Office,
an African Regional Office will be established in Nairobi
responsible for coordinating field-level activities in Africa.
Both offices are scheduled to be fully operational by the end
of 2009.
31
APPENDIX I
Our Members (as of December 2008):
O
Organisati
rganisatio
on
n
1 AADI
2 ACODIHUE
3 AGATA Soluciones
Agrofair Assistance and
4 Development
Co
ount
untrry
y
Benin
Guatemala
Nicaragua
http://www.acodihue.org
http://www.agatasoluciones.com
T
Type
ype
Development NGO
Development NGO
Supply Chain
Netherlands
http://www.agrofair.nl
Development NGO
Agropecuaria Organica
Tatama
Colombia
http://www.agrotatama.com
Supply Chain
8 Agropecuaria Santa Elena
9 AIAMED
Nicaragua
India
http://www.aiamed.org.in
Producer (Cooperative)
Development NGO
7
11 ANCE
12 APESI
13 APODIP
14 ASOPIA
15 ASPECAGUA
Togo
Peru
Guatemala
Colombia
Guatemala
16
Guatemala
W
Website
ebsite
http://www.ancetogo.org
http://www.apodip.com
h t t p : / / w w w . a s o a p i a. o r g
Development NGO
17
18
19
20
21
Asuvim, Ijatz, Uproa, Amnsi
Aventura Investment
Partners
BIONIC
Cafe Custepec
Cafe Marcala
Cafetalera Castellon
Senegal
Nicaragua
Mexico
Honduras
Nicaragua
http://www.nicasgift.com
Lender (Alternative)
Development NGO
Producer (Non-cooperative)
22
Cafetalera Los Compadres
Nicaragua
http://www.ramacafe.org
Nicaragua
Switzerland
United States
Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Honduras
P eru
Nicaragua
Honduras
http://www.calvertfoundation.org/
http://www.catie.ac.cr/cecoeco
http://www.chirripoconsultores.com
http://www.coatlahl.com
http://www .cocla peru.co m
http://www.cafedehonduras.org/comisajul
Supply Chain
Development NGO
Supply Chain
Supply Chain
Canada
http://www.equita.ca
Supply Chain
http://web.conservation.org/xp/verdeventures/
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
Cafetalera Nicafrance
Cafexport
Calvert Foundation
CATIE
Chirripó Consultores
COATLAHL
COCLA
COJICAFE
COMISAJUL
Commerce Équitable
32 Oxfam-Québec
http://www.aventurainvest.com
33
Conservation International Verde Ventures Fund
United States
34
Cooperativa de Servicios
Multiples Caja Rural
Nicaragua
36
37
38
39
40
COOPRASOL
COOPSAEC
CORDAID
CORECAFE
CRESUD SPA
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Netherlands
Honduras
I taly
41
42
43
Cross Oceans International
Investments & Urban
Developments
DCAP
D ID
Guatemala
India
C anada
http://www.did.qc.ca
Development NGO
Development NGO
Development NGO
44 Divya Business Services
45 EAFCA
India
Uganda
http://www.eafca.org
Supply Chain
Development NGO
46
United States
http://www.ecoenterprisesfund.com
48 EcomTrading
49 Ecotrading Yva.
Mexico
Paraguay
http://www.ecomtrading.com
http://www.ecotradingyvapy.com
S upply C hai n
Supply Chain
51
Equal Exchange
United States
http://www.equalexchange.coop
Supply Chain
52
53
Ezsak's Multi-Purpose
Investment Agencies
FECCEG
Kenya
Guatemala
http://geocities.com/ezsaks
Supply Chain
Netherlands
Netherlands
Netherlands
http://www.ecohout.nl
http://www.fscnl.org
http://www.getnv.com
Development NGO
Development NGO
Supply Chain
Eco Enterprises Fund
54 Foundation ECOHOUT
55 FSC Netherlands
56 GET NV
Green Development
57 Foundation
Honduras
http://www.cordaid.nl
http://www .cr esud.i t
http://www.cross-oceans.com
Development NGO
58
32
S T A n nSanta
u a l Gertrudis
R e p o r t 2 0 0Nicaragua
8
59F AHacienda
Organisation
C
Country
ountry
Website
58
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
United States
http://www.greenmountaincoffee.com
59
60
Hacienda Santa Gertrudis
HBARQ Ltda.
Nicaragua
Brazil
61
62
63
64
Higher Grounds Trading Co.
IISD
Integra Cooperative
ITC Infotech
United States
Canada
Slovakia
United States
http://www.highergroundstrading.com
http://www.iisd.org
http://www.integra.sk
http://www.itcinfotech.com
Supply Chain
Development NGO
Media
65
66
Jappoo Developpement
JNC
Senegal
Peru
http://www.jappoo.org
http://www.juntadelcafe.org.pe
Development NGO
67
Just Us! Coffee Roasters Co-Op
http://www.justuscoffee.com
Supply Chain
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
Karoma S.A.
KPCU
La Union R.L.
Liberation Foods
Lift Kids
Matthew Algie
Oke USA
Canada
Dominican
Republic
Kenya
Nicaragua
United Kingdom
United States
United Kingdom
United States
http://www.karomaestate.com
http://www.kpcu.co.ke
http://www.ucosemun.org
http://www.chooseliberation.com
http://www.liftkids.org
http://www.matthewalgie.com
http://www.okeusa.com
Supply Chain
Supply Chain
Development NGO
Supply Chain
Supply Chain
75
76
77
78
79
80
Paíz Guerrero, Jose Mercedes
POR FIN
PRGSA
QC Café
Rabobank Agri Fund
Rancho San Antonio
Nicaragua
Mexico
Burkina Faso
Colombia
Netherlands
Mexico
http://eporfin.rootcapital.org
Development NGO
Development NGO
Supply Chain
81
82
83
84
85
Red del Cafe Las Segovias
Responsability
Root Capital
RSF Social Finance
Sahajeevan
Nicaragua
Switzerland
United States
United States
India
http://www.reddelcafe.com
http://www.responsability.com
http://www.rootcapital.org
http://www.rsfsocialfinance.org
Development NGO
86
87
San Cristobal Coffee Importers
Shared Interest
United States
United Kingdom
http://www.sancristocafe.com
http://www.shared-interest.com
Supply Chain
88
89
90
91
92
Shiv Krishi Utthan Sanstha
Société Agroboss
SOCODEVI
Sogestal Kayanza
Sports Garden
India
Togo
Canada
Burundi
Kenya
http://www.socodevi.org
Development NGO
Supply Chain
Development NGO
Supply Chain
Development NGO
Netherlands
http://www.triodos.com
93
94
Stichting Triodos Sustainable
Trade Fund
Suphala Producers Company
Limited
95
Type
Supply Chain
Supply Chain
http://www.qccafe.com
http://www.rabobank.com
India
Sustainable Harvest Coffee
Sustainable Trade Systems
96 Consulting
97 Transfair Canada
98 Twin Trading
99 UCA Miraflor
100 UCAFE
101 UCPCO
102 UCRAPROBEX
United States
http://www.sustainableharvest.com
Supply Chain
United States
Canada
United Kingdom
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua
El Salvador
http://www.sustainabletradesystems.com
http://www.transfair.ca
http://www.twin.org.uk
http://www.miraflor.org
http://www.ucaferl.com.ni
http://www.ucpcorl.com
Supply Chain
Certification Agency
Development NGO
Worlas Biodiversity Conservation
103 Organisation
104 Zameen Organic
Western Sahara
India
http://www.zameen.org
Development NGO
Supply Chain
33
Printed on 100%-recycled post-consumer paper, Ecologo-certiﬁed.
Chlorine-free process. Recycled and manufactured using biogas energy.