Oikocredit’s Post

Recently, Heifer International's SVP Africa Region, Adesuwa Ifedi, spoke to CNBC Africa on reinventing financing for agriculture in Africa and how innovative approaches can drive more private sector capital to Africa’s small-scale farmers. She highlighted the incredible momentum building in the sector—powered by better access to data from farmers and new models of unconventional financing created by #agritech innovators across the value chain. She noted that by developing new systems of credit lending facilities among others, we can unleash enormous potential in Africa’s food systems and redefine the risk associated with agriculture. Adesuwa's insights underscored the need for collaborative efforts between public, private, and development sector players to accelerate this movement and bring more funding to the agriculture space. Watch the full discussion on CNBC Africa to learn more. 👇 https://lnkd.in/e47Sf8iM  #FoodSecurity #InnovativeFinancing #HeiferAfrica

Smallholder farmers will remain as it has been the central cause of ThriveAgric. Smallholder farmers are the unsung heroes of Africa's agricultural sector. They toil tirelessly to produce the food that nourishes our communities, yet they often face significant challenges in accessing the resources and support they need to succeed. ThriveAgric is committed to changing this narrative. We believe that by empowering smallholder farmers, we can unlock the full potential of Africa's agricultural sector and create a more sustainable and equitable food system for all. Our comprehensive approach to empowering smallholder farmers includes: * Providing access to financing. * Connecting farmers to markets. * Delivering agricultural inputs such as Seeds, Chemicals and Fertilizer. * Offering training and support. By investing in smallholder farmers, we are investing in the future of Africa. We are creating a more sustainable and equitable food system, reducing poverty, and empowering communities. Join us in our #mission to empower smallholder farmers and transform Africa's agricultural landscape. Together, we can create a brighter future for all. #Thriveagric #SmallHolderFarmers #Jobs #Development #Empowering #Community

🌾 Empowering Ghana’s Smallholder Farmers through the AAFORD Blended Finance Facility (BFF)! Last week, the AAFORD Project Coordination Unit (PCU) hosted a two-day Validation Workshop, bringing together key stakeholders to review the Baseline Study and Blended Finance Facility (BFF) Market Study. These workshops mark a significant step towards establishing the BFF under the Affordable Agricultural Financing for Resilient Rural Development (AAFORD) initiative, addressing critical financing gaps for smallholder farmers and agricultural value chain actors in maize, rice, soyabean and groundnut commodities across 12 districts in the Bono, Bono East, Ahafo, Savannah, Northern and North-East Regions in Ghana. 🚜💼 The BFF is set to: ✔️ Provide affordable, concessional financing to help smallholder farmers and value chain actors invest in productivity-enhancing activities. ✔️ Reduce agricultural lending risks by sharing these risks with Participating Financial Institutions (PFIs). ✔️ Promote sustainable agricultural practices to boost productivity, food security, and climate resilience. ✔️ Enhance financial inclusion for marginalized groups, particularly women and youth, supporting AAFORD’s overall goals. With funding from the Ministry of Finance, IFAD, and Apex Bank Ghana, AAFORD is targeting 50,000 households over a four-year period. The project will directly benefit 40,000 households through concessional financing and interventions, while 10,000 households—primarily women aged 18 to 35—will receive nutrition-sensitive capacity-building initiatives to enhance resilience, well-being, and nutritional standards. 🌱👩🌾 This is a major milestone in our collective journey to build a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable agricultural sector in Ghana! #Agriculture #FinancialInclusion #SustainableDevelopment #BlendedFinance #SmallholderFarmers #WomenEmpowerment #YouthInAgriculture #ClimateResilience #Ghana

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Investment Bank (EIB) played a crucial role in supporting SMEs by providing financing through local financial institutions like the Co-operative Bank. One of the beneficiaries of this support was an animal feed farmer, whose impact extended beyond their own operations to the broader agricultural community and economy. This support is particularly significant given that agriculture, including the livestock sector, contributes substantially to Kenya’s GDP and export earnings. Also, a significant portion of Kenyans depend on the crops they grow and the animals they keep for their livelihoods and survival. The assistance provided by the EIB supported individual enterprises and also helped sustain a critical sector that underpins the economic and social well-being of many Kenyans. #GlobalGateway #TeamEurope #SMEs #EIB #EUinKenya #MSME

🌱 Reflecting on the journey, today marks exactly #3 years since this pivotal photo was taken. It depicts the #future we envision for every #African #farming community. Though unsure of the path forward, our conviction remained steadfast: "Rural farmers will receive the support needed to grow 3X." 🌾 Fixing the extension system emerged as pivotal to realizing this ambition. We embarked with 3 guiding hypotheses: establishing availability through one agent for every 200 farmers, ensuring reliability via quality training and advisory services, and fostering sustainability. From a modest start of 57 #fieldagents, we now boast a network of over 2,000 agents empowering 400,000+ farmers across 13 Nigerian states. Today, we are the leading voice in #privateextension service delivery in #Nigeria. What a #journey it's been! Even though we have decoded the first 2 hypotheses. We have come to realize that the sustainability we seek hinges on aligning extension services with the evolving needs of value chains and global trends. 🌍 We've seen how this perspective is crucial; a. Accessing structured farmers' networks poses a significant financial hurdle for agribusinesses and service providers. b. To engage farmers successfully, agribusinesses create new systems separate from their core business solution, leading to inefficiencies and duplicity at the last mile. c. It's disheartening that millions of farmers in Nigeria remain underserved, despite our collective efforts. d. The stark reality of private solutions and interventions reaching only a tiny fraction of our farming population so far, raises questions about how we will feed the projected #population of 450 million Nigerians in the next 2.5 decades. This is why the next 6 years for Extension Africa will be about creating #relevance and #sustainability, supporting agribusinesses and service providers with structured #lastmile networks across Africa, helping you to #Grow Smarter, and #Scale Faster! #Agriculture #Sustainability #ExtensionServices #Farmers #Nigeria USAID Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation AGRA Mercy Corps Heifer International Mastercard Foundation U.S. African Development Foundation (USADF) DAI Syngenta Indorama Corporation Premier Seed Nigeria Ltd. Jubaili Agrotec Hello Tractor Olam Agri OCP AFRICA Sterling Bank FCMB Group Royal Exchange General Insurance Company Rabobank Absa Group

The National Agricultural Development Fund has called for inclusive financial solutions that address the specific needs of marginalised groups to boost food security in Nigeria.

Here is a very elaborate perspective of our passion for farmers, consistency with our mission, and ambition for impactful growth. EDFI Management Company sees all this and has invested in Good Nature Agro to advance its processing potential to reach the unreached and tap into a whole new world of seed and commodity export possibilities. #zambia #goodnatureagro #impactinvesting #developmentfinance #growingfarmersgrowingincomes #GNA10yrs

🌱 Supporting Rural Prosperity through Tailored Microfinance Solutions 🌱 Excited to share our initiative aimed at empowering smallholder farmers with tailored microfinance solutions. These efforts are critical in providing farmers with the financial resources they need to invest in sustainable practices to increase their productivity and improve their livelihoods. #RuralDevelopment #Microfinance #SustainableAgriculture #Swisscontact #FarmersEmpowerment #AgriFinance #CommunityDevelopment

RWND: PAFO and African Development Bank Strengthen Partnership to Support Small-Scale Farmers  The Pan-African Farmers’ Organization (PAFO) and the African Development Bank have further solidified their partnership to enhance support for small-scale farmers across Africa. 

The National Agricultural Development Fund has called for inclusive financial solutions that address the specific needs of marginalised groups to boost food security in Nigeria.