The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) intends to support Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Mujeres Unidas – CACMU Ltda. in strengthening its capacity to deliver climate-resilient financial solutions for rural communities in northern Ecuador.
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CACMU is a women-focused savings and credit cooperative founded in 2000 to empower women and families in underserved regions of Ecuador. Today, it serves more than 30,000 members, with 55% of active borrowers being women. The project has been put forward by the World Wide Fund for Nature Netherlands (WWF-NL), in coordination with WWF Ecuador, as part of the DFCD Origination Facility, managed jointly by WWF-NL and SNV. WWF-NL intends to sign a €193,500 grant agreement with CACMU and, together with WWF Ecuador, provide ongoing support throughout the process and co-implement on-the-ground activities to strengthen institutional governance, environmental and social risk management, and financing for climate change adaptation. The initiative will also align CACMU with international standards, paving the way for future investment.
Rural communities in northern Ecuador face increasing climate risks - droughts, erratic rainfall, soil degradation, and declining water availability - that threaten agricultural productivity and household incomes. These vulnerabilities disproportionately affect women and smallholders, heightening financial insecurity and portfolio risk for lenders. While CACMU has integrated basic environmental safeguards and offers a green credit line, its current capacity to deliver climate-resilient finance at scale remains limited by fragmented systems, uneven field capacity, and lack of standardized adaptation criteria. These vulnerabilities disproportionately affect women and smallholders, heightening financial insecurity and portfolio risk for lenders, particularly in climate-exposed rural portfolios.
CACMU combines a strong social mission with solid financial performance, maintaining capital adequacy well above regulatory minimums and growing its loan portfolio by 10% annually. Its deep roots in rural communities, gender-focused approach, and established microcredit expertise position it uniquely to lead climate and gender-responsive finance in Ecuador. By modernizing its governance, digital systems, and product design, CACMU can scale green lending for practices such as regenerative agriculture, water-efficient irrigation, and crop diversification - helping thousands of rural families adapt to climate change while strengthening local value chains.
By combining CACMU’s inclusive finance model with WWF’s technical expertise and DFCD’s catalytic support, this project will transform CACMU into a leading climate-responsive financial institution. The initiative will not only strengthen rural livelihoods but also set a precedent for integrating gender equity and climate adaptation into Ecuador’s cooperative financial sector.
“CACMU is the type of institution the Origination Facility aims to support: deeply rooted in climate-vulnerable rural territories, with a strong focus on women and inclusive finance. Our support prioritizes institutional strengthening so that green lending can scale responsibly. This approach reduces risk, strengthens resilience on the ground, and prepares CACMU for future investment.”
- Tania Evia, Regional Lead DFCD OF
" Being part of this initiative allows CACMU to strengthen its institutional capacities and expand climate-resilient financing for women and rural producers. Together with WWF Ecuador and DFCD, we seek to scale responsible financial solutions that support livelihoods and contribute to more resilient rural territories.”
- Jeaneth Chávez, Gerente General CACMU
“Conserving ecosystems while improving people’s well-being is our core mission. By working with institutions like CACMU, we help ensure that productive activities are trully inclusive and sustainable, and demonstrate how finance contributes directly to more resilient rural territories.”
- Tarsicio Granizo, Director WWF Ecuador
The Dutch Fund for Climate and Development (DFCD) is a climate fund, dedicated to supporting climate adaptation and mitigation projects which benefit vulnerable communities and landscapes. Initially funded by the Dutch government, it is powered by a consortium of four expert organisations: FMO (Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank), CFM (Climate Fund Managers), SNV, a global development partner, and WWF Netherlands.
