New borrower: Masienda

RSF is pleased to welcome Masienda as a new borrower. Masienda brings Mexican landrace corn from across rural Mexico to U.S. consumers in the form of whole kernels, masa harina, tortillas, and other complementary products.

Mexico is the birthplace of corn, with every modern variety around the world tracing its roots back to the diverse genetic Mexican foundation. There are an estimated three million farmers across Mexico who continue to cultivate these landrace crops—the highest quality corn, untarred by commodity corn’s devolution—and live below the international poverty line. The rise of cheap commodity corn has undercut the limited market access these farmers have, and diminishing incomes has created an erosion of cultural traditions, genetic biodiversity, and self-sustenance across Mexico’s rural communities.

Masienda works with these farmers, paying them premium pricing for the corn available beyond their community’s needs and enabling the farmers’ continued, profitable investment into crops. Beyond premium prices, Masienda hires and trains locally to lead the in-country operations and build expertise for these communities to aggregate, process, and distribute their products.

RSF provided Masienda a line of credit which they will use to bridge inventory purchases and accounts receivable. They mostly sell to restaurants and direct to consumers. Shop here!