Promotion of agricultural finance for agri-based enterprises in rural areas

Since  2016, Nine African countries - Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Togo and Zambia - have improved access to adequate financial services for small agricultural and processing businesses with the support of German development cooperation (DC) under the GIZ Global Project “Promotion of agricultural finance for agri-based enterprises in rural areas” (GP AgFin). The co-operation partners are local financial institutions, agricultural companies and various ministries of the respective governments.

In mid-March 2025, delegations from the nine countries, consisting of representatives from government, financial institutions and civil society, met with representatives from the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) and IFAD as well as from BMZ, KfW and GIZ. The aim of the three-day conference with around 100 participants was to agree on successful, broad-based solutions and develop strategic approaches on how these can drive forward the necessary transformation of agricultural and food systems. 

The declaration submitted by the conference participants to AUDA-NEPAD focusses on five points:

1. A strategy to promote agricultural and food systems that combines public and private commitment to provide affordable financial services and products based on digital solutions
2. Improved regulatory frameworks that protect the rights and interests of producers and consumers, especially women and young people;
3. Increasing sustainable agricultural productivity and developing financial products tailored to the different needs of the agri-food value chains, including climate-sensitive and green financial products for investments in processing, storage and transport infrastructure.  
4. Capacity building for agricultural enterprises and financial institutions;
5. Cushioning financial risks by promoting the necessary digital infrastructure, using state-subsidised instruments for refinancing and providing loan guarantees and insurance to mitigate risks.