Maha Agriculture Microfinance (Maha)

Company Profile
Maha Agriculture Microfinance (Maha) is a licensed microfinance institution (MFI) operating in rural areas of Myanmar. Maha is owned by the Myanmar Awba Group (87%), an agricultural input distributor serving around 3.5 million farming families in Myanmar, and the International Finance Corporation (13%), a member of the World Bank Group. Maha as at May 2019 operates in 30 branches across 8 regions and provides financial services to over 33,000 clients, 90% of whom are farmers. Maha has a strong environmental focus, and is actively building a green portfolio.

Maha’s sustainability strategy 
Maha is striving towards a triple bottom-line approach, which includes environmental outcomes as one of Maha’s three primary measures of performance alongside financial sustainability and social impact. Before loans are provided, all clients are screened for environmental and social risks, and must agree to comply with Maha’s policies. Clients receive training on financial literacy, safety at work, and environmental sustainability. This training includes helping farmers to avoid deforestation, irresponsible use of fertilisers and pesticides, and unsafe waste disposal, which are significant environmental issues in rural areas of Myanmar. Maha is also working towards building a green portfolio by providing loans to support projects with a positive environmental impact. Internally, Maha incorporates sustainable practices into its day-to-day operations, including encouraging recycling and monitoring the organization’s environmental footprint.

Maha’s Integrated Report