For smallholder farmers, growing a quality crop is only part of the journey. Whether that harvest becomes lasting income depends on everything that happens next—protecting the crop, accessing financing, and reaching buyers who recognize its value.
That’s why Beneficial Returns recently financed two enterprises working at different stages of the agricultural value chain in Southeast Asia. Although they operate in different countries, Ontosoroh and GrainPro share a common goal: helping farmers capture more of the value they create.
Connecting Indonesian coffee farmers with premium markets
In Indonesia, Ontosoroh connects approximately 850 smallholder coffee farmers across six coffee-growing regions with specialty buyers around the world. Many of these farmers belong to Indigenous communities that have cultivated coffee for generations.
By providing quality support, agronomy training, export coordination, and above-market pricing, Ontosoroh helps farmers earn 15% to 20% more than conventional markets while building long-term relationships with international buyers. Its main buyer, This Side Up, is a transparent specialty coffee importer based in the Netherlands that supplies roasters across Europe. Together, Ontosoroh and This Side Up help protect farmers’ share of the value chain while building long-term trust with producer communities.
Beneficial Returns provided a €200,000 working capital loan that allows Ontosoroh to purchase coffee during the harvest season, ensuring farmers are paid promptly while export orders are prepared.
But reaching premium markets is only part of the equation.
Protecting the value of the harvest
Based in the Philippines, GrainPro develops hermetic storage solutions that protect coffee, rice, cacao, and other crops from moisture, pests, and spoilage. Ontosoroh itself uses GrainPro bags to preserve coffee quality from harvest through export, helping ensure the product reaches international buyers in optimal condition.
Beyond coffee, GrainPro is also expanding access to its storage technology for rice farmers in the Philippines. Beneficial Returns provided a $75,000 loan to support the production of 50 Cocoon™ storage systems, which GrainPro leases to producers who are unable to purchase the equipment upfront.
Through this leasing model, farmers can safely store their rice, preserve its quality, and wait to sell when market prices are more favorable, reducing pressure to sell immediately after harvest.
These two enterprises demonstrate how stronger agricultural value chains are built.
One helps farmers earn more by reaching premium markets. The other helps them protect the value of what they’ve already grown.
Together, they are creating more resilient livelihoods for farming communities across Southeast Asia while showing that impact investing can strengthen multiple parts of the same value chain—from harvest through storage and ultimately to international markets.