Lending Open

Financing Continued Access To Organic Quinoa In The U.S.

by Provenance Grainways
Financing Continued Access To Organic Quinoa In The U.S.

Working capital to carry packaged organic quinoa inventory, supporting Bolivian smallholder farmers and fulfilling growing demand.

Project Summary
  • Location: Dover, DE
  • Products: Grain Value added/CPG
  • Loan Term: 24 months
  • Net Interest Rate: 10.00% APY
  • Repayments Structure: Interest-only payments throughout the 24-month term, with a balloon payment due at maturity
  • Repayments Begin: 1 month after disbursement
$1,306,900
43% of $3,000,000

Overview

Provenance Grainways LLC is a global supplier of organic quinoa built on long-term relationships with smallholder Andean farmers in Bolivia’s Southern Altiplano. In alliance with Bolivian sister company Jacha Inti, they support Indigenous farming communities in building long-term resilience.

Through Jacha Inti’s sourcing network of hundreds of farms, Provenance helps reintroduce regenerative practices rooted in local knowledge, including llama integration, manure-based fertility, cover crops, and wind and erosion protection. Provenance imports directly from Jacha Inti and distributes in North America to major. well-established U.S. customers.

By managing the logistics and working capital needs of North American distribution, Provenance helps its network of Indigenous farmers access premium U.S. retail markets while continuing to strengthen on-farm resilience and ecological health.


Use of Funds

This financing will support the carrying costs of packaged inventory as Provenance continues placing consistent orders that support Bolivian smallholder farmers and meets ongoing demand from their primary purchasers. As of January 2026, Jacha Inti has assumed full packaging responsibilities that were previously handled by their end buyer, shipping finished packaged bags ready for distribution. 

With additional packaging costs and rising raw quinoa prices increasing working capital needs, this loan helps Provenance maintain reliable fulfillment and strengthen its relationship with its customers. 



Stewardship Statement 

Provenance Grainways is committed to providing the highest quality Andean Quinoa in the market. Their quality product starts with their sourcing practices on the ground with smallholder Bolivian farmers. Throughout the term of this loan, Provenance Grainways pledges to: 

  • Maintain all certifications including: Organic Certification and Fair Trade Certification to ensure fair wages and safe working conditions.
  • Maintain direct sourcing of at least 60% of quinoa directly from smallholder farmers in the Andes, with a goal of increasing this percentage over time. 
  • Maintain Regenerative Organic Certification (ROC) and expand ROC quinoa sourcing as demand grows.


Ecological, Social, and Economic Stewardship Practices

Provenance Grainways’ commitment to a high-integrity quinoa supply chain is paired with a focus on positive ecological, social, and economic outcomes. Working alongside Jacha Inti and a network of Bolivian smallholder farmers, the business supports practices that strengthen farm resilience, protect shared natural resources, and keep value circulating in the communities producing the crop.

Ecological Stewardship:

  • Farm-level yields are actively tracked as one indicator of field health and longer-term productivity.
  • Soil samples are analyzed, including carbon measurements, to better understand soil conditions and changes over time.
  • Biodiversity measurements are conducted to monitor ecological function across the landscapes where quinoa is grown.
  • Planting cover crops, maintaining wind barriers, and utilizing llama manure are all encouraged practices to help build soil health, reduce erosion and help farms adapt to harsh growing conditions. 
  • Growers are encouraged to maintain ancestral practices adapted to the high plains, including crop rotation and fallow periods to preserve fertility.
  • Indigenous knowledge is actively preserved, including the hand-selection of heirloom varieties best suited to local environments.
  • All quinoa purchased is Certified Organic, with a percentage purchased as Regenerative Organic Certified.

Social Stewardship:

  • On-staff agronomists provide direct technical support to growers, strengthening decision-making and continuity in the field.
  • High standards are maintained for processing-facility employment, with a 100% Bolivian workforce, of which 95% is identified as mestizo Indigenous.
  • Employees are kept on payroll and receive social security benefits.
  • A full-time doctor is staffed at the plant and available to employees.
  • A full-time chef and kitchen team provide meals to employees during workdays.
  • Transportation to work is provided to support reliable access to employment.

Economic Stewardship: 

  • Direct purchasing accounts for over 60% of total quinoa volume, with a stated goal to increase this percentage over time, strengthening farmer participation in the supply chain.
  • Long-term relationships and consistent buying are supported through a vertically integrated supply chain that connects growers, processing, packaging, and distribution.


This loan will be made to Provenance Grainways LLC, a Delaware limited liability company which manages the complete U.S. supply chain operations for imported Bolivian Organic Quinoa into the U.S. Market.

This loan will be used for inventory financing to provide Provenance with the necessary capital to purchase an adequate supply of quinoa to fulfill obligations with a major U.S. retailer. 

This is a secured loan with a second lien on all current assets of the borrower. Steward will continue holding the first priority UCC-1 for the existing Steward inventory loan until it is repaid in 10 months (December 2026). All loan participations across both loans sit pari passu in right of payment, including any participations held by other Steward entities. For the avoidance of doubt current assets includes: cash, accounts receivable, raw inventory, in process inventory, and finished goods, and any other assets considered current in accordance with GAAP. 

This loan is set at a 10.5% interest rate, with a 10% net interest rate to lenders to account for Steward’s .5% servicing spread. Interest only payments begin one month after origination, continuing throughout the 24 month term, with a balloon payment due at maturity. 

Steward Underwriting Analysis Download

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