Seguridad alimentaria Centroamérica

IDB Invest, a member of the IDB Group, granted a $75 million loan to Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI Alimentos) to ensure its medium-term liquidity and support the continuity and reactivation of its operations. The agreement strengthens food security and income generation in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras.

The financing contributes to the company’s plan to maintain its fixed investment, keep its jobs, and maintain its links to local and regional markets. CMI Alimentos, owned by the Bosch Gutiérrez family, is one of the largest employers in Central America and the Dominican Republic, with some 30,000 employees.

New opportunities for food security

The funds will strengthen the value chain in two ways: by increasing purchases from the company’s more than 8,000 suppliers and by benefiting the microentrepreneurs that make up its main direct sales channel, most of whom are women entrepreneurs.

Through this project, IDB Invest plays a countercyclical role, providing long-term financing that alleviates food security challenges, a key aspect in the fight against COVID-19. CMI Alimentos will support the supply of food in local markets, e.g., animal protein, flour and derived products, in the context of operational, logistical and labor constraints.

In addition, the agreement will help reactivate income generation, through direct and indirect employment, in rural areas of Central America, where vulnerable populations heavily affected by the health emergency and hurricanes live.

Impact of the financing

The financing consists of a $50 million loan from IDB Invest’s own funds and the mobilization of $25 million from the China Cofinancing Fund for Latin America.

The IDB Invest operation includes the implementation of environmental and social best practices in the company’s operations, aligned with international standards. A gender-focused support plan will also be launched for CMI Alimentos’ micro-distribution chain in Guatemala. The training will cover topics such as financial literacy, business management, women’s empowerment, and digitalization. Subsequently, an impact evaluation of the strategy will be conducted to assess its expansion to micro-entrepreneur suppliers in other countries.

The operation potentially contributes to three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (SDG 9), and Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG 12).

About Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI Alimentos)

CMI Alimentos is a multi-Latin family corporation with over 90 years of history, more than 40,000 employees and presence in more than 15 countries on three continents. Its businesses are organized into two major groups: Food and Capital. Through CMI Alimentos, it develops products focused on food and nutrition for Latin American families. Today it is one of the largest and most important food groups in the region in the wheat and corn flour milling, pasta and cookie production, poultry, pork, processed and sausage industries, balanced food for animals and pets, and catering with its brands Pollo Campero and Pollo Granjero, among others.

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Carla Fowler

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