Press releases

Zurich - Fairly traded products are growing in popularity. In 2013, sales of Fairtrade International-certified products in Switzerland grew by 15%, while worldwide their consumption rose by 20% to over USD 65 billion. Today, some 1.3 million smallholder farmers in 70 countries profit from fair trade. They, along with cooperatives, traders and importers, require working capital for their economic activities. The Swiss asset manager responsAbility Investments AG has been successfully mobilising private funds towards this purpose for nearly ten years.

Zurich - The Swiss asset manager responsAbility Investments AG, which specializes in development investments, is recording continued strong inflows of assets from both private and institutional investors – reflecting the sustained high level of investor interest in this area. In 2013 alone, its volume of assets under management grew by 37%. At the same time, there is strong demand for financing for the real economy in developing countries and emerging markets. In its latest Annual Review – Perspectives 2014 – responsAbility provides background information on its business activities and explains their impact from the perspective of investors as well as financed companies.

Nairobi - Africa has vast potential with regard to renewable energy. The demand for energy is soaring as a result of population growth and advancing industrialization. Targeted investments make it possible to harness the available potential and to thus satisfy this demand. The Swiss asset manager responsAbility Investments AG, which specializes in development-related sectors of emerging economies, has established a new company focusing on renewable energy in Sub-Saharan Africa in conjunction with the German development bank KfW as the main shareholder. responsAbility Renewable Energy Holding (rAREH) aims to develop, construct, own and operate small-scale hydro and biomass power plants in order to participate in the economic potential of renewable energy in African countries.

Zurich - The Swiss asset manager responsAbility Investments AG, which specializes in development-related sectors of emerging economies and developing countries, has reported an increase in assets under management to USD 2 billion. Founded in 2003 with a strong focus on microfinance investments, responsAbility today offers investment opportunities in the financial, agriculture, energy, healthcare and education sectors. Through its investment vehicles, responsAbility invests in non-listed companies that benefit from growth in emerging economies, irrespective of stock market developments. The substantial increase in assets (2013: +36%) reflects the undiminished investor interest in sustainable investments.

Zurich – The Research department of the Swiss asset manager responsAbility Investments has conducted a microfinance study to identify the factors determining interest rates for micro-borrowers. It has found that a combination of healthy competition, effective regulation, an appropriate market infrastructure and innovation help to drive efficiency gains at microfinance institutions (MFIs), resulting in lower operating costs and interest rates.

Zurich - responsAbility Participations AG successfully completed its CHF 23.5 million capital increase as of 16 December 2013. The capital will be used to further expand a portfolio of sound financial services providers with attractive growth potential in developing and emerging economies whose clients consist of low-income households as well as micro, small and medium-sized enterprises.

Zurich – The emerging markets experienced a large-scale flight of capital in 2013. Despite the sharp falls suffered by some local stock markets and currencies, companies rooted in the real economy demonstrated their solidity. responsAbility Investments AG, the world's leading independent asset manager in the area of microfinance, today published its fourth Microfinance Market Outlook that combines an analysis of the current situation in the microfinance market with an assessment of how it is likely to develop in 2014.

Zurich – In their latest study entitled 'The Microfinance Revolution in East Africa', the economists at responsAbility explore key developments in the financial sector from an emerging markets perspective. The study analyzes how the new products, services and distribution channels collectively known as 'microfinance' have revolutionized the financial sector in the region and how they are now being further strengthened by technology. The economists conclude that East Africa, in particular, has become a center of financial sector innovation, paving the way for the much swifter inclusion of rural populations in the financial system and increasing the market potential of microfinance.

Zurich – responsAbility, one of the world’s leading asset managers in the field of development-related investments, has published a study of coffee growing in Costa Rica. Based on this example, responsAbility identifies three key criteria for success in developing sustainable agriculture: outline conditions favorable to development, strong producer organizations, and access to finance. Investments in fair trade are not only financially attractive but, according to this study, also help small farmers in developing economies to earn a better living.

Zurich – responsAbility, one of the world’s leading private investors in the area of development-related financing, presents the third successive edition of its annual Microfinance Market Outlook. The central message for 2013 is that solid return potential, sustained low volatility and a contribution to social development in the investment countries will continue to create a positive outlook in microfinance investments.