Mercy Corps AgriFin

Women drive 70% of food production in Africa, yet they continue to face significant challenges in accessing land, funding and technology. To shed light on this, we launched the first-ever AgBase Gender Report: Leading Women in Africa’s Agricultural Ecosystem at the Women Who Build Africa and Abze Dine & Data event in Nairobi. This report, powered by the AgBase intelligence platform, highlights key trends and amplifies the voices of women shaping the sector. Register to download your free copy here: https://lnkd.in/dkjqafGS A big thank you to all the founders and funders for collaborating with us on this report. And of course a special thanks to our AgBase initiative partners, Mercy Corps AgriFin, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office.   #AgBase #briter #briterco #womeninagriculture #africa #genderreport #WWBA #Agritech

🌱 Empowering Smallholder Farmers Through South-South Collaboration 🌱 At our recently launched South South Agriculture Alliance (SSAGA) platform in #Kigali, we hosted a compelling discussion that provided a broader understanding of the challenges of small-holder #farmers across the Global South and how South-South collaboration can benefit the overall ecosystem. Key Takeaways from the Panel: 💡 Technology & Innovation: Collins Marita (Mercy Corps AgriFin) emphasized that digital tools are reshaping the agriculture sector, but scaling these solutions requires deep local adaptation and strong ecosystem partnerships to ensure they become relevant to the context. 💰 Financing Gaps: Arindom Datta (Ex-Rabobank) highlighted that limited access to finance remains one of the biggest barriers to farmer income growth, with similar challenges seen across geographies. Concessional finance and technology can help balance the risks and the costs associated with providing financing to farmers. 🚜 Challenges for Agribusinesses: Marie Claire (Farmfresh Fine Foods Pty Ltd) pointed out that logistics, access to markets, and supply chain inefficiencies remain key hurdles for agribusinesses. Greater policy support and investment in infrastructure are essential for their success. 🌍 Scaling Innovations Across Borders: Dr. Moses Osia Mwanje (Cereal Growers Association) shared insights on where agri-innovations succeed and where they often fail, advising innovators to prioritize farmer-centric approaches. 🎯 Where Should We Bet on Innovation? When asked about the one critical innovation that could significantly improve farmer incomes, the panelists pointed to climate-smart solutions, improved access to financing, and supply chain digitization as the most promising areas for transformation. 👥 Moderated by Ankur Kathuria (Intellecap), this discussion highlighted the need for stronger partnerships between governments, private sector players, and innovators to unlock agriculture’s full potential. What’s Next? SSAGA is committed to advancing these dialogues and creating a platform for action. 📸 Stay tuned as we share more highlights and insights from the launch event. Follow us for more updates! #SSAGA #AgricultureInnovation #SmallholderFarmers #SouthSouthCollaboration #AgTech #Agribusiness #FinanceForFarmers #FoodSystems Susmit Datta Amit Joshi Anish Moda Santosh K Singh

Yesterday, I had the privilege of being invited to the GSMA Innovation Fund Bootcamp and engaging with incredible innovators shaping the future. A few key takeaways from these conversations: 🔹 Africa remains a hotbed of innovation – I was inspired by the number of groundbreaking solutions addressing real market needs across the continent. 🔹 Capital needs diversity – Both patient capital and commercial funding have a critical role to play in supporting these innovations and driving sustainable growth. Platforms like @Agbase by Briter and Mercy Corps AgriFin provide a useful information hub on agtech and foodtech companies across emerging markets and provide visibility to potential investors and funders. 🔹 Innovation vs. scale – Some companies are expanding across multiple geographies, while others have already reached hundreds of thousands of customers. The question of how many new innovations emerge vs. how many successfully scale is worth further exploration across different sectors. 🔹 Impact-driven business models – It was exciting to see companies that have achieved both strong financial performance and meaningful social impact in the communities they serve. 🔹 The power of technical assistance – The role of technical assistance cannot be overstated. Having interacted with some of these companies a few years ago, it was truly remarkable to see how the support they’ve received from programs like the GSMA Innovation Fund and others has made a tangible difference. The energy and potential in the room were truly inspiring. Looking forward to seeing how these innovations evolve! Martin KARANJA, MBA Leonard Kore Gregory Peter Omondi Philippe Bellordre Praveen Menon Kevin Amateshe Hafsah Jumare Michael Ogundare

Mercy Corps AgriFin program is seeking to engage experienced and reputable consultancy firms with expertise in Savings Groups Agent Channel Development, Training, and Deployment to support the development of a network of young female rural private service providers (PSPs) for the enrollment of rural savings groups into aggregated risk pools. All interested bidders should submit their technical & financial proposal to tendersmca@mercycorps.org with the title "Provision of Savings Groups Agent Channel Development, Training, and Deployment” on or before 10th March, 2025 at 5 pm EAT. For more info and to apply visit: https://lnkd.in/dmi_WtEe

#FuelingGrowthandResilience: Lersha x Mercy Corps AgriFin Lersha , a dynamic Agtech platform for innovative digital solutions for smallholder and commercial farmers in #Ethiopia were able to scale from 160 Agents who had a reach of 80,000 smallholder farmers in 2021 to over 3200 agents and over 330,000 small holder farmers today through the partnership with Mercy Corps AgriFin. Ferhana Jelaludin Bereket Asrat Tsega Meron Sileshi Mekonnen Elias Nure samuel karanja Lydia N. Wafula Ritah Setey Collins Marita Clare Cheptumo (B.Ed, MBA) #SSPs #SHFs #Resilience #Ethiopia #Lersha #MercyCorpsAgriFin

Mercy Corps' work in strengthening Weather and Climate Services (WCS) in Kenya and Senegal is truly impressive. Their research highlights critical gaps in the WCS value chain: especially looking at data collection and processing to dissemination and stakeholder coordination. The need for improved, localised climate information for farmers, especially in rain-fed agriculture, is paramount. And as the white paper, "Exploring the Potential of Public-Private Partnerships for Climate Services in Sub-Saharan Africa," rightly emphasises, PPPs will play a crucial role in bridging these gaps. Leveraging the strengths of both the public and private sectors – government for data standardisation and regulation, and private entities for innovation and scalability – will be a great step forward. I'm excited to see the pilot programs take shape and look forward to the impact they will have on building #climateresilience for vulnerable communities: a vital step towards a more climate-secure tomorrow. https://lnkd.in/dqbGfXMN #ClimateAction #FoodSecurity #Agriculture #Africa | Mercy Corps AgriFin

Women contribute to 70% of Africa’s #food production yet often face significant barriers to accessing land, funding and technology. Leveraging AgBase data - a business #intelligence platform powered by Briter and Mercy Corps AgriFin, only 7% of the $1.56 billion funding to AgTechs in Africa has gone to women-only founders in the past 10 years. AgBase's upcoming gender report, Leading Women in Africa's #Agricultural Ecosystem, explores #gender trends and data insights in African AgTech investment and shares the stories of leading women driving change within the sector. The report will launch at the Women Who Build Africa (WWBA) and Abze Dine & Data event taking place in Nairobi on 11 February 2025. Sign up to receive the free report as soon as it goes live: https://lnkd.in/d6wJT_Zh

🌟 Discover Insights from the 8th Annual Learning Event (ALE) Report! 🌟 The 8th ALE report is here, packed with key learnings, actionable strategies, and success stories from this year's event. 📖✨ Dive into the rich discussions on agricultural finance, digital public infrastructure, and innovative solutions transforming the sector. 🔍 What’s Inside? ✅ Groundbreaking sessions and highlights ✅ Insights from thought leaders and experts ✅ Practical takeaways to drive impact 📥 Click below to access the 8th Annual Learning Event Report 💡🌍 https://lnkd.in/dbRehCxD Hillary Nyanganga, Ph.D Sukirti Vinayak Eric Muriuki Sriram Bharatam Stewart Collis Amrik Heyer David Saunders Tamara Cook Ali Hussein Kassim Toffene Kama Jamie Anderson Eric Massinda Munyi Nthigah Larrissa Bachia Nathanial Peterson Aisha Walcott-Bryant, PhD Evan Girvetz Kristin Peterson Christian Merz Sheena Raikundalia Hafsah Jumare Rosalie Dekker Wen E Chin Jerry OCHE Alex Nana-Sinkam Ewan Wheeler ACRE Africa Extension Africa CoAmana Lersha Briter Tajudeen Yahaya #AgriculturalFinance #DigitalPublicInfrastructure #SustainableDevelopment

Incase you missed the Learning Brief Mercy Corps AgriFin released showcasing how innovative, digitally enabled solutions are transforming productivity, income and resilience for smallholder farmers, you can download and read the full learning brief here https://lnkd.in/d4mrunib

🌾 Financial Inclusion with AFEX: Empowering Farmers, Transforming Agriculture 💳 At Mercy Corps AgriFin, we believe that financial inclusion is the foundation for driving sustainable growth in agriculture. That’s why we’re thrilled to share the incredible strides made through our partnership with AFEX in Nigeria! 📈 What Have We Achieved? Over 314,000 farmers have been onboarded onto AFEX’s Cudie Wallet, a digital solution that empowers farmers to manage their transactions seamlessly. 🌐 These farmers collectively transacted over $1 million, showcasing the transformative power of accessible financial tools in rural communities. 🚜Access to digital wallets and financial services not only enhances farmer livelihoods but also strengthens agricultural value chains. Farmers can now: ✅ Securely store and manage earnings ✅ Participate in formal markets with confidence ✅ Invest in better inputs and practices for higher yields ✨ The Bigger Picture This is more than just numbers—it’s proof that innovation in agri-tech can bridge gaps, improve resilience, and unlock opportunities for smallholder farmers. Together, we’re paving the way for a future where no farmer is left behind. #FinancialInclusion #AgriTechInnovation #AgriFinImpact #EmpoweringFarmers #SustainableAgriculture