What to know about this Lending Partner
Kiva conducts regular, ongoing monitoring of all Lending Partners, but only posts status updates here in response to relevant, major changes at the partner.
Status Update - 19 November 2019
Kiva has moved this Lending Partner to inactive status which means Siam Organic is no longer fundraising loans on Kiva. Siam Organic has repaid all amounts due to Kiva lenders and it has ended its microloan program. If and when this partner requests to fundraise again on Kiva, Kiva will first conduct any additional monitoring and due diligence tasks we believe necessary.
Partner description:
Siam Organic and its sister organization, Jasberry, are social enterprises working to get healthy, natural and organic products to market. They work with rice farmer cooperatives to convert smallholder farmers to organic production and to help them get a fair price for their crops, usually between 2 to 3 times the normal market rate.
Siam Organic also provides technical assistance with crop quality and yield, organic compliance, and inputs like organic seed and fertilizer. The organization processes and packages the rice, finally selling the finished product to major supermarket chains.
Siam Organic and Jasberry both have USDA and EU organic certification.
A unique lending approach:
Siam Organic loans funded on Kiva go to small-scale farmers from the poorest province in Thailand, with an average of 70% female borrowers. Farmers in this area can only harvest once a year due to limited water supply and earn less than $0.50/day.
The loans are mostly 'in-kind,’ providing organic seeds and fertilizer, and some loans are for purchase of livestock to provide long-term benefits. Siam Organic will charge an administration fee to cover the costs of running the program, but no interest.
Siam Organic also provides non-financial services to the borrowers, including their training programs on crop quality and yield.