LightCastle Partners Signs Contract with ACDI/VOCA

LightCastle Partners has recently signed a contract with ACDI/VOCA for conducting a study on the systemic challenges experienced by value chain actors across the livestock value chain. The study aims to assess potential intervention areas for improving access to finance by identifying innovative products, solutions, and partnership opportunities, which can scale the disbursement of loans to livestock farmers.

Feed the Future Bangladesh Livestock and Nutrition Activity project intends to increase livestock productivity for improved nutrition and income generation among rural households in eight districts across the Feed the Future zone of influence and zone of resilience. The six-year Activity had three key components:

1. Livestock productivity
2. Access of rural households to hygienic, diverse, and quality food
3. Nutrition awareness and practices.

As a cross-cutting component, the Activity addressed gender gaps and increased women’s empowerment in livestock households and communities.

Through this research study, the Activity plans to understand the gaps, as well as untapped business opportunities, that financial institutions (including NBFI) can address by providing relevant financial services and relevant ancillary services to serve livestock businesses and by building the capacity of borrowers.