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Impact Investment Impact Investment

ees, small or micro business owners, customers, informal sec-
tor or the wider community – the people who are facing the
brunt of these social and environmental challenges, whether
it be extreme weather conditions, the strained tourism sector, We keep it
depleting marine resources or the labouring informal sector.
The financial sector also needs to support these social
enterprises through investment readiness and demand-led fresh.
financial innovation. While some of these investments may
present similar challenges to those commonly found in the
SME sector (relating to governance, scale and perceived risk), So you can
our regional institutions are far better placed to mitigate
these risks being on the ground.
An obvious advantage we have in the Pacific when it comes keep cool.
to impact investing is that there are already many businesses
that deliver sustainable outcomes, whether through employ-
ment that improves livelihoods in villages, sustainable land
use, financial inclusion or empowerment of women. Their
social intent might not be as well recognized as Adidas which
addresses plastic pollution by making eco shoes out of them.
But there are some fully fledged social enterprises entering
their growth phase – such as Ranadi Organics in Fiji which
is using its premium organic ginger & turmeric produce in
its expanding NZ brand Daily Good, Essence Group Fiji with
sustainably harvested nama (seagrapes) skincare products,
or TraSeable Solutions, a Fiji-based data company that sup-
ports agriculture and fishery businesses through traceability
software. Then there are community-based enterprises, such
as Rise Beyond the Reef which creates value chains engaging
women and youths, and e-commerce platforms such as Aggie
Global, that connects small farmers with profitable markets
to supply Fijians with fresh local food at home.
Some have not even been labelled as social enterprises As one of the world’s top carriers of
(yet), others may still be paving their path toward financial refrigerated containers, we know what’s
viability or becoming investable. Nevertheless, the innovative important when transporting temperature-
minds in the Pacific are working overtime to improve people’s sensitive goods. Thanks to our Remote
lives, creating solutions for the problems that riddle our eco- Container Management technology, we as
systems, especially in the face of COVID. These entrepreneurs well as our customers can keep a cons-
are ready to absorb capital and provide meaningful as well as tant eye on the precious cargo along the
profitable outcomes. entire transport chain. Out on the ocean,
COVID-19 has precipitated the need to act now. As stated in
the recent 2021 Pacific Resilience Meeting: “resilience is no in terminals or during landside transport
longer an aspiration, it is a necessity!” – no matter where your reefer is, you’ll
We have a region that presents a rich landscape of oppor- know the condition of your sensitive cargo.
tunities where our institutional investors have the power to And whether fresh fruits, delicious meat,
make targeted and thoughtful investments, to generate posi- essential pharmaceuticals or other highly
tive financial and social outcomes, helping these businesses delicate reefer cargo, we always have the
grow and become financially viable. This, in turn, will help right solution that guarantees an extra
make our island economies more resilient, equitable boost of freshness and safety.
and sustainable. It is an inevitable metamorphosis for the
Pacific.

editor@islandsbusiness.com

Jinita Prasad is a financial sector specialist who consults
with multilateral organisations, governments and businesses www.hamburgsud.com
across the Pacific with a focus on social enterprises and SMEs.

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