Launch Built on Strong Foundation
We are embarking on a new journey. EcoEnterprises Fund started as a pioneering initiative of The Nature Conservancy, and with the winding down of our first fund in early 2010, we move forward to launch our next-generation instrument, EcoE II.
The Nature Conservancy created EcoEnterprises Fund in 2000 to address a critical need in the field – supporting the development of small- and medium-sized businesses in sectors that could protect fragile ecosystems and generate sustainable livelihoods. Ten years later, having built a model portfolio of sustainable businesses, we are proud that we met the Conservancy’s challenge and demonstrated the potential of this cutting-edge conservation and social impact tool. A modest capital base was transformed into large scale results. Investment of $6.3 million in 23 sustainable businesses that offer a wide range of innovative products: from organic shrimp to organic spices, FSC-certified furniture to biodynamic flowers, and acai, the newest superfood to hit the market produced impressive positive benefits – 3,513 jobs, gains for 293 communities and conservation groups; $281 million in sales; $138 million in additional capital leveraged; and 860,773 hectares of land directly conserved. EcoEnterprises Fund’s lessons-learned and decade of work are to be published in September 2011 by London-based Earthscan.
We are grateful to our Conservancy colleagues for their assistance and support over the years, and we are delighted that the Conservancy will remain a pivotal force in our new fund. We are especially thankful for the entrepreneurs upon whose vision and drive this endeavor was built. It is their success that is our proof of concept. They have introduced new products and new ways of doing business that raised the bar and helped shape their industries, while contributing to the long-term viability of important ecosystems and bringing economic alternatives to rural communities.
Our shareholders and other donors made our work possible. We thank them for joining us on this adventure. And to our board members whose wisdom guided us over the years, we are indebted for their steadfast commitment to EcoEnterprises Fund’s mission and for helping to make the last 10 years such a success. We are honored to have many of them involved in the launch of EcoE II.
We continue to be inspired by the dedication of our friends in the impact investing field, many of whom we have worked with closely and who are an integral part of what we have achieved. It is the legacy of our combined efforts over the years that enables EcoEnterprises Fund to reach this next step and take our work to scale with EcoE II.
