Rabo Foundation provides landmark loan to aQysta Nepal, supporting growth of Nepal's organic agriculture exports

The transaction marks a significant milestone for Nepal's agricultural sector. The facility is believed to be the first foreign debt investment by an international impact investor into Nepal's agricultural sector which has been duly approved by the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB), creating an important precedent for future international lending to high-impact agribusinesses in the country.

Founded in 2016, aQysta works with more than 3,000 smallholder farmers across six provinces in Nepal, approximately 60% of whom are women. Through direct sourcing, organic certification support, farmer training, and digital traceability systems, the company connects farmers to premium domestic and European markets while helping them achieve higher and more stable incomes.

The investment reflects Rabo Foundation's commitment to strengthening smallholder livelihoods, climate-smart agriculture and sustainable market access. By providing working capital and trade finance, Rabo Foundation will help aQysta Nepal Pvt. Ltd. expand its certified organic sourcing network, improve export readiness and connect more farmers to premium international markets where they can earn significantly higher prices for their produce. Jan Postmus, Impact Finance Manager at Rabo Foundation, commented:"aQysta has built an impressive farmer-centred model that combines fair market access, traceability and sustainable agriculture. We are excited to support a business that creates opportunities for thousands of smallholder farmers while helping open the door for responsible international investment in Nepal's agricultural sector."

For aQysta, the financing will provide critical capital to source produce from farmers, fulfil growing demand from European buyers and continue building transparent, export-oriented value chains. The facility strengthens the company's ability to scale its impact while creating new opportunities for farming communities across Nepal. Pratap Thapa, CEO and Co-founder of aQysta Nepal Pvt. Ltd., said: “Scaling sustainable impact needs innovative impact finance and like-minded financing partner. That is what we get with Rabo Foundation : With Rabo Foundation's support, we can grow our exports, reach more farming communities and demonstrate that Nepal can be a reliable source of high-quality, organic agricultural products."

The benefits of this investment are already visible in districts such as Palpa, where the Galdha Social Entrepreneurial Women's Cooperative - a Heifer promoted cooperative - partnering with aQysta, have exported 62 tonnes of organic dried ginger and beans to Europe and is preparing additional volumes of dried ginger chips for export. By preparing the farmers to meet Global food quality standards and certifications and linking to the global market, these initiatives reduce dependence on volatile local markets and create more stable and rewarding income opportunities, particularly for women farmers. By expanding aQysta's sourcing and export capacity, the Rabo Foundation financing will help more farmers benefit from market opportunities like these, creating stronger and more resilient rural economies across Nepal.

Both organizations expressed their appreciation to Heifer Nepal and Invest for Impact Nepal (IIN) for their important role in supporting the development of Nepal's impact investment ecosystem and helping facilitate this transaction. IIN works at the intersection of investors, investees and regulators to mobilise sustainable foreign investment in Nepal, while Heifer has played a key role in strengthening farmer cooperatives and agricultural value chains across the country.

The organizations would also like to acknowledge the constructive engagement of the Nepal Rastra Bank throughout the approval process. As Nepal continues to attract responsible international capital, this transaction demonstrates how collaboration between regulators, development partners, impact investors and local enterprises can unlock new opportunities for agricultural growth and rural prosperity.