Original Source: Triodos IM 

 

Aarno KEIJZER showed that the G4IFF programme links Financial Service Providers (FSPs) and their smallholder farmer clients to partners with knowledge on geodata such as geospace companies and scientists. The programme uses an innovator challenge to identify promising companies that use geodata for inclusive finance and food. Agri-wallet, the first of

The Dutch Platform for Inclusive Finance (NpM), Capacity Building in Rural Finance (CABFIN) (2) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) issued a study – co-initiated by ICCO Cooperation – to bring greater understanding of the root causes of women dropping out from financial support (find full report here). The purpose of this study was to analyse the position of women in agricultural value chains in Rwanda, as well as the current and potential role of financial service providers (FSPs) in strengthening the positioning of women in these chains.

The agriculture sector plays a critical role in the livelihoods of people around the world – yet it’s facing an uncertain future. Food producers, who are mostly located in emerging markets, will experience extraordinary challenges in the coming years, as the global population is predicted to exceed 9 billion by 2050. What’s more, climate change will aggravate the growing competition for water and fertile land for food production.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the agriculture sector will be an essential part of any solutions to these challenges. Yet in developing countries, funding these SMEs presents challenges of its own, whether they be early-stage companies or businesses that initially benefitted from subsidies. For instance, the most critical phase for early-stage companies is from the period of idea generation to the time when the product becomes a success. During this phase, these companies have limited financial resources they can use to innovate and commercialize their products before achieving steady revenue streams. Since many young businesses fail during this period, this financial gap is often referred to as the ‘‘Valley of Death’’ (see figure below).

As equity sales in the inclusive finance sector grow, so does the importance of selecting a suitable buyer – the obligation of the seller to exit ‘responsibly’. The report Caveat Venditor: Towards a Conceptual Framework for Buyer Selection in Responsible Microfinance Exits provides a conceptual framework for buyer selection and guides investors and their advisors in future exits.

Dodore heeft met zijn Agri-wallet de NpM Innovator’s Challenge gewonnen. De Agri-wallet is een innovatieve portemonnee dat geoormerkte financiering biedt voor Keniaanse boeren. De organisatie ontving een bedrag van 125.000 euro waarmee zij de Agri-wallet verder kunnen uitbreiden met satellietbeelden.

NpM, Platform for Inclusive Finance (NpM) commissioned a study on suitable agri-finance products for female farmers in Vietnam as part of a broader study on the promotion of women entrepreneurship in agriculture through access to finance. This paper presents the results of the study aimed to analyse if and how women encounter constraints to effectively access financial services in agriculture and if they benefit effectively from accompanying non-financial services.