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Proparco and IDB Invest partner with CMI Alimentos to strengthen its operations in Central America
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Proparco has granted a USD 40 million senior debt financing to support CMI Alimentos, group of Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI), a family-owned Guatemalan-based food corporation. This funding will finance the company’s investment plan in El Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica, reinforcing its long-term growth and sustainability objectives.
CMI Alimentos is a leading food business group in Central America operating across multiple sectors including wheat and corn milling, pasta and biscuit production, poultry and pork farming and processing, animal feed manufacturing, and the restaurant industry. The corporation employs over 40,000 people. Through this financing, CMI Alimentos aims to strengthen its impact on job creation and food accessibility in some of the most vulnerable regions in Central America.
This transaction is expected to support over 6 million jobs and create more than 4,000 new employment opportunities. It will also provide access to essential food products, especially meat, benefiting over 12 million people. The financing aligns with global priorities of fostering food security and sustainable economic growth. Additionally, part of the loan will be allocated to environmental management, including achieving carbon-neutral certification in flour and animal feed plants and improving wastewater treatment systems.
The financing will also contribute to reducing inequalities, a key pillar of Proparco’s strategy. CMI Alimentos is active in regions such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, characterized by significant socio-economic challenges. Approximately one third of the total financing will support business activities in municipalities facing high levels of poverty, further reinforcing local economic resilience.
CMI Alimentos has partnered with IDB Invest for over six years to empower micro-entrepreneurs, with women representing 70% of the beneficiaries. The company has developed and implemented a training program in Guatemala called ‘Casa del Saber,’ through which entrepreneurs from Casa del Pollo Rey enhance their business skills. On a strategic level, CMI Alimentos is also committed to promote women´s development and was recognized in 2021 by Revista MJ as one of the fifty most attractive companies for women in Guatemala.
Manuel Léon, regional director for Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean at Proparco, commented: “We are proud to support CMI Alimentos in its investment plan and sustainability journey. This financing will not only reinforce the company’s market leadership but also generate a strong social and environmental impact in Central America, particularly in the most vulnerable communities.”
Through this strategic financing, Proparco continues to support sustainable economic development in Latin America, reinforcing its commitment to fostering inclusive growth and environmental responsibility in the agri-business sector.