Lima, March 15, 2024 – In a joint effort to boost purposeful investment in Peru, Aliados de Impacto and the Group for the Analysis of Development (GRADE) held the “Validation Workshop of the National Study on the Impact Investment Ecosystem with a focus on the agricultural sector and value chains”. The event, held in the framework of the study funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and supported by the Global Steering Group for Impact Investing (GSG), took place on Friday 15 March 2024. The workshop brought together key representatives from the public and private sector, international cooperation, as well as impact investors.
The main goal of the workshop was to disseminate and validate the findings of the characterisation study of the impact investment ecosystem in Peru and the main bottlenecks found in the impact investment flow routes, based on interviews with different stakeholders. In addition, six successful cases of blended finance in Latin America were presented, detailing the actors involved and the roles played in the structuring of such funds. The presentation of these findings was led by Álvaro Espinoza, associate researcher at GRADE and leader of the team that carried out the study.
The event featured two group dynamics that promoted interaction and collaboration among the participants: the first focused on validating the identified bottlenecks and proposing viable solutions for each one, while the second sought to have participants simulate a blended finance operation that would address the financing needs of small and medium-sized agricultural producers. In the latter exercise, four groups took on the challenge of designing blended finance for a national agricultural chain, proposing specific actors involved and outlining the role of their respective organisations in such proposals.
The results of the dynamics will be integrated into the final report of the study, enriching the information previously collected and serving as a basis for future actions.
“This study marks a significant milestone in our efforts to strengthen the impact investment ecosystem in Peru,” said Marisela Vega, executive director of Aliados de Impacto. “We hope to continue with the design of blended finance instruments based on the results of the validation we are conducting today; we will work on initiating a financial instrument for the agricultural sector and value chains with the support of COFIDE and the SeCompetitivo program, as well as other actors that join in the process. We want to demonstrate that collaboration between diverse actors is possible to drive positive and sustainable change in our society, and we are excited to continue working together to achieve it.”
For more information on the study and future initiatives, interested parties can contact Marisela Vega at marisela.vega@aliadosdeimpacto.com.
