The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership & Fundación Carlos Slim align with Super Selectos to remove key barriers faced by small-scale farmers in El Salvador
San Salvador, El Salvador, (17 November 2014) – The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership today announced that through a new Supply Chain enterprise model in El Salvador, small-scale farmers have better access to markets and infrastructure for their locally grown produce, empowering them to improve their livelihoods. The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership is an initiative of the Clinton Foundation established by President Bill Clinton and philanthropist Frank Giustra, with a mission of poverty alleviation at scale.
“Today, many organizations, including ours, are recognizing the enormous opportunity in rural markets. However, we see lack of access to markets, skill training, and affordable logistics solutions as key barriers that make it costly to establish a profitable social enterprise at scale” said Frank Giustra, co-founder of the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership. “While some constraints are unique to each country, most are of a similar nature, implying that if common solutions were available these issues could be addressed across geographies.”
“We’ve addressed these key barriers in El Salvador by setting up an infrastructure – Acceso Oferta Local – Productos de El Salvador (Acceso)– that removes these constraints by purchasing fruits and vegetables from small-scale farmers at favorable payment terms, providing essential skill training in good agricultural practices, and ensuring they have access to quality seeds and fertilizers that will significantly improve the quality and yields of the produce they grow.Having already introduced this supply chain model in Colombia, Haiti, and India, we are pleased to be bringing it to Central America” said Mark Gunton, CEO of the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership.
El Salvadoran small-scale farmers typically earn less than $3 per day, despite the high demand for local produce. With the introduction of this new enterprise model, Acceso, will nearly triple the incomes of more than 1,400 + small-scale farmers and source over 20 different varieties of fruits and vegetables.
“By partnering with small-scale farmers alongside high-level buyers like Super Selectos, we’ve facilitated market inclusion that will strengthen the local economy, reduce reliance on imports and enable small-scale farmers to generate a reliable source of income,” said Gunton.
“We are pleased to be making this co-investment along with the Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership. Together we are creating a sustainable approach to empowering El Salvadorans to work themselves and their families out of poverty,” said Carlos Slim, Founder of Fundación Carlos Slim.
“In our work alongside Acceso we are collectively changing a paradigm in El Salvador by significantly increasing the quantity of locally grown produce in our supermarkets, at the same time proving that our people are capable of supplying our country’s demand” said Carlos Calleja, Vice President of Grupo Calleja which owns and operates Super Selectos.
“We’re very excited about this announcement as it demonstrates the scalability and efficacy of market-driven solutions in alleviating global poverty,” said Giustra.
The Clinton Giustra Enterprise Partnership will scale its work with local farmers in El Salvador and replicate this successful model globally.
For more information, visit: http://www.CGEPartnership.com
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About Fundación Carlos Slim
With high impact programs, focused on the most vulnerable population, the Carlos Slim Foundation carries out since 1986 its work in the following areas: education, health, nutrition, social justice, culture, sports, human development, aid in natural disasters, economic development, protection and conservation of the environment, aid to Latin America, and also to public and private institutions that contribute to improve the quality of life of people of all ages, promote the formation of human capital and generate opportunities that foster the integral development of the beneficiaries and their communities.
For more information, visit: http://www.fundacioncarlosslim.org
About Super Selectos
Super Selectos a 100% Salvadoran Supermarket company with over 60 years of presence, currently has 93 supermarkets conveniently located throughout the El Salvador, enjoying the preference of 70% of Salvadorans, which makes us leader in our category. The Supermarket chain is aware of the social impact it could have on the population involved in the initiatives that support four important sectors for the company: employees, communities, the environment and the national productive sector; with a priority to create opportunities for the less privileged. The initiative most supported is Cultivando Oportunidades, which benefits national producers of the sector of agriculture, livestock, and fisheries across the country, generating a priceless value chain for suppliers, customers and communities. This program began just over two years ago and it has gone to buy a 5% to 40% from local producers, which translates to about $ 100 million left in Salvadoran hands.
For more information, visit: https://www.superselectos.com