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Monica Beek
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With three new processing plants in Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, and Mozambique becoming operational, two additional financiers have joined the FMO-arranged working capital facility for Robust International, a multinational agricultural commodities trader. The Danish and Austrian development finance institutions, IFU and OeEB, each committed USD 25 million to the syndicated facility, which FMO originally arranged in November last year. Together with further contributions from existing lenders—FMO (USD 15 million) and British International Investment (USD 5 million)—the total working capital available to Robust has risen from USD 105 million to USD 175 million
By using the working capital facility to purchase sesame and cashew nuts directly from local cooperatives, aggregators, and farmers, Robust’s new plants - where nuts and seeds are cleaned, graded, shelled, and packaged - create local value instead of exporting raw products to Asia for processing. In addition to generating 1,100 jobs at the plants (also financed in 2023 through an FMO-arranged loan with Finnfund), Robust is a major off-taker for around 600,000 smallholder farmers in the region, driving economic growth and development.
'We are supporting a shift in the food value chain“
This investment reflects Impact Fund Denmark’s commitment to building a just and inclusive economy in Africa. By enabling Robust International to source directly from smallholder farmers, we help create local jobs, strengthen agricultural value chains, and unlock export potential in some of the world’s least developed countries. Crucially, we are supporting a shift in the food value chain—bringing more processing and value creation to the African continent itself, so that exports can increasingly go directly from Africa to Western markets, ensuring more of the economic value stays where the raw materials originate,” said Otto Vinther Christensen, Managing Director, Sustainable Food Systems, Impact Fund Denmark
“By sourcing raw commodities from smallholder farmers and strengthening local processing capacity, we help build resilient value chains that generate income and create jobs where they are most needed. We are proud to partner with Robust, FMO and Impact Fund Denmark on this important initiative, which reflects our commitment to sustainable development and to supporting communities in the world’s most vulnerable regions”, adds Sabine Gaber, CEO – Member of OeEB’s Executive Board.
Hans Bogaard, Director Agribusiness, Food, and Forestry at FMO said: ,,This third investment in Robust shows what DFIs and other impact investors can do when they work together. The new processing plants have created thousands of jobs, and the working capital provided to Robust enables cashew nuts and sesame to be sourced from local suppliers, stimulating the economy and adding value to the product locally. We would like to thank our partners and Robust for this impactful cooperation and look forward to continuing our joint efforts.’’
Founded in 2006 and headquartered in Singapore, Robust is a multi-national trader of agri-commodities, specializing in sesame and cashew nuts and sourcing primarily from East and West Africa. The company is evolving from traditional trading and processing to becoming an end-to-end integrated supply chain company.
