The Fairtrade Access Fund  provides small farmers’ cooperatives and producers’ associations with short- and long-term loans they need for business financing or to upgrade their farms and technological equipment. The fund was launched in 2012 jointly by Incofin cvso, Fairtrade International and Grameen Foundation, with Incofin Investment Management managing the fund. The first investments were made in Latin America, from where the fund branched out to Africa and Asia. The Fund provides financing to cooperatives and producers’ organisations that carry the Fairtrade mark or that have submitted an application for certification. Via Fairtrade, farmers’ organisations have greater access to the international markets, a network with guaranteed minimum prices and other economic advantages.