PFD in Benin

In Benin, PFD is promoting food security and local development, through a micro-enterprise program, which provides loans to households seeking to create greater self reliance for their families. Beneficiaries include agricultural producers, processors and traders who participate in activities, such as:

• Fruit and vegetable cultivation and marketing
• Small scale catering and trading enterprises
• Poultry and small livestock production
• Production of staple food and cash crops such as rice, cocoa and cotton

The Benin program expands on PFD’s successful micro and small enterprise development activities in Nigeria and in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).  In those countries over the past ten years PFD has issued $9 million in 42,000 loans, with repayment rates on the loans exceeding 90%.   

These programs have not only helped thousands of families improve their economic status, but have helped build strong business planning and management skills.  They have also helped add value to agricultural production through processing and marketing activities and by facilitating increased cooperation between participants in the marketing chain.  Since the majority of our loan recipients are women, the micro-enterprise program has also helped empower women and improve equality in household relationships. PFD expects similar results in Benin.

PFD Local Partner

PFD’s implementing partner in Benin is Centre Béninois pour l’Environnement et le Développement Economique et Social (CEBEDES), a local non-governmental organization. Established in 1990, CEBEDES provides loans to 20,000 agricultural producers, processors and traders using a group enterprise approach and has achieved a 95% repayment rate. 

To learn more about CEBEDES, click here.