Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Latin American Region · 20 December, 2021

Businesses with social and environmental impact: microcredit as an articulator of said ecosystems in the Latin American region

The countries that make up the Latin American Network on Public Policies for investment and impact businesses, promoted by EUROsociAL+, participated in the International Microfinance Forum organised by Banco do Nordeste do Brasil, with the support, among others, of the EUROsociAL+ Programme.

On 9 and 10 December, the Latin American Impact Business Network participated in the International Microfinance Forum organised by Banco do Nordeste and the Brazilian National Strategy for Business and Impact Investing (ENIMPACTO), with support from the European Union programme EUROsociAL+. The ministro da Casa Civil and advisers from the Ministries of Labour, Economy and Citizenship of Brazil took part, as well as other international speakers, including representatives of the Latin American Development Bank (CAF) , the Fondo nacional de Capital Social de Argentina (FONCAP), the Banca Ética de Italia and the Ministry of Production of Peru. The latter two are involved in the EUROsociAL+ Programme, which has also facilitated the participation of the European Commission (EC) represented by Laure Rogés from INTPA.

The virtual meeting emphasised the strategic role of microcredit in the region to foster enterprises with social and environmental impact, which help to reduce inequality and improve people’s living conditions. Likewise, panellists from different public and private sector institutions highlighted the importance of a coordinated and synergistic collaboration between both sectors to streamline citizen access to microcredit.

During two sessions, topics such as the current state of micro finance in several countries of the region were presented and the different changes that have been taking place in the field of impact micro finance were explained. Dialogue was also encouraged among the participants to share ideas and opinions on the subject.

Also present at the event were several countries that make up the  Latin American Network on Public Policies for investment and impact businesses – an initiative that the EUROsociAL+ Programme has been advising in the region since the beginning of this year – and which was created with the support that EUROsociAL+ has provided since 2018 to the Ministry of Economy (ENIMPACTO) of Brazil and also the support lent to the  Ministry of Productive Development of Argentina  to promote triple impact ecosystems.

Country: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay, Latin American Region
SDG: Decent work and economic growth, Reduced inequalities, Climate action
Policy area: Social policies