Mountain Hazelnuts ('MH') is a social enterprise partnering with over 12,000 farmer households and community groups to plant 10 million hazelnut trees across the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan.[1] MH is Bhutan's largest private sector employer, and endeavors to create shared value for rural mountain communities, shareholders, and the natural environment.[2][3]
 | |
| Industry | Agroforestry Agribusiness Sustainable Agriculture |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 |
| Founder | Daniel Spitzer Teresa Law |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Hazelnuts |
| Website | MountainHazelnuts.com |
According to a May 2010 article in Forbes, the Company "represents the first major foreign direct investment in Bhutan’s history."[4]
The Company provides young hazelnut trees, inputs, and technical assistance to rural smallholder farmers.[5] Once the trees mature, the Company purchases hazelnuts harvested from their partner growers, which are then processed for export to premium international markets.[5]
Partners
editIn 2015, the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), and The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) joined the venture to offer a blended financing package – combining equity and non-traditional debt.[6]
In 2018, MH secured US$3 million in debt financing from Ceniarth.[6]
In 2019, MH secured a US$9 million long-term financing agreement with the United Nations-affiliated Land Degradation Neutrality Fund (LDN), managed by Mirova/Natixis.[6]
External links
editReferences
edit- ^ Lee, Louise (June 6, 2012). "Big Business in Bhutan: How the Humble Hazelnut Could Help Bhutan". Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
- ^ Shared Value Project Hong Kong (April 2, 2020). "Creating Shared Value in Bhutan – How Hazelnuts Impacted an Entire Nation". Shared Value Project Hong Kong.
- ^ Chandran, Rina (4 August 2020). "Tech helps cashmere herders, hazelnut farmers fight soil erosion in Asia". Reuters. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- ^ Andelman, David A. (May 2, 2010). "Happiness and Hazelnuts". Forbes.
- ^ a b Business Call to Action (June 2020). "Mountain Hazelnuts: Impact Management Case Study" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
{{cite web}}:|last1=has generic name (help) - ^ a b c Avery, Helen (October 10, 2019). "How Bhutan built conservation finance into its DNA". EuroMoney.
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