DFCD supports social enterprise in the production of biopesticide and biofertiliser
The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) intends to support SOLVERT, a social enterprise with the production and marketing of biopesticide and bio-fertiliser produced from neem seeds and other oilseeds.
With the help of the DFCD, SOLVERT will develop its processing capacity to market quality products that meet farmers' expectations. The DFCD Origination Facility Investment Committee has approved an origination project proposal to help Solvert develop the project. SOLVERT processes neem fruits into neem oil and neem-based biofertiliser that are sold to smallholder farmers, earning a fair and equitable profit that, in part, returns to the farmers in the form of dividends to shareholder cooperatives.
These organic inputs increase soil fertility and the income of smallholder farmers by more than 30%, improving the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in Burkina Faso, Mali and the sub-region.
With this approval, SNV intends to sign a grant funding agreement of € 200,000 with SOLVERT.
About the DFCD
The Dutch Climate and Development Fund is a € 160 million fund from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs aimed at improving the resilience of the most vulnerable landscapes, ecosystems and communities through adaptation to climate change. The DFCD is managed by a pioneering consortium consisting of Climate Fund Managers (CFM), Worldwide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL) and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation, led by the Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, FMO. For more information, please visit www.thedfcd.com.
About SNV
SNV is a mission-driven global development partner working in more than 20 countries across Africa and Asia. Building on 60 years of experience and grounded in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we work on the core themes of gender equality and social inclusion, climate adaptation and mitigation, and strong institutions and effective governance. Together with our team of over 1,600 people, our mission is to strengthen capacities and catalyse partnerships that transform the agri-food, energy, and water systems, which enable sustainable and more equitable lives for all.
About SOLVERT
Solvert is a for-profit social enterprise with producers organised in cooperatives as shareholders. It has been operational since 2019, and it buys neem fruits from rural women, which it processes and sells as biological inputs - biopesticides and biofertilisers. These inputs meet Burkina Faso's quality standards and replace imports of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, thereby contributing to sustainable and resilient agriculture that helps farmers adapt to climate change.
See full disclosure (in French) here.