The State of Smallholder Finance
Date and time
Location
Embassy of the Netherlands to the US
4200 Linnean Ave. NW, Washington DCDescription
The State of Smallholder Finance
What has changed and where do we go from here? The report "Inflection Point: Unlocking growth in the era of farmer finance" can be downloaded here. A copy will be provided to all attendees.
Topic:
The event will bring together key players on the topic of access to finance for smallholder farmers. 500 million smallholder farmers in low - and middle-income countries provide an income for themselves and their families despite minimal resources and daunting challenges. With access to financial services tailored to their needs and references, smallholder farmers have the potential to change their furture and the prospects for their children.
Yet serious gaps in access to financial services remain and expected growth alone will not make a noticeable dent in the next five years. With new collaborative energy, there is an opportunity now to accelerate efforts, in order to close gaps and unlock growth on a significant scale.
A new report, on the state of small holder finance, will be highlighted during the event. The report is released by the Initiative for Smallholder Finance and the Rural and Agricultural Finance Learning Lab. Following a brief presentation of the reports key findings and recommendations, a panel of practitioners will discuss sector opportunities and risks we can expect over the next 3-5 years. Participants will have the chance to network with other experts and discuss collaborative opportunities forward for the sector.
Speakers:
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The Netherlands Embassy: Mr. Henne Schuwer Ambassador
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Initiative for Smallholder Finance: Dan Zook Director of Investments
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Rural and Agricultural Learning Lab: Jason Wendle Director
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ICCO: Marinus Verweij CEO and David Kamukama Regional Business & Economic Development Advisor
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Rabobank Foundation: Frank Nagel Director of Rabo International Advisory Services
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One Acre Fund: Stephanie Hanson Senior Vice President, Policy & Partnerships
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Grameen Foundation: Camilla Nestor Senior Vice President, Programs and Regions
Event details (2.30 PM – 6 PM EST):
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2.15 pm: Welcome with coffee/ tea
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2.30 pm: Welcome by the Ambassador Mr. Henne Schuwer and Marinus Verweij
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3.00 pm: Highlights of the new "Inflection Point" report by Dan Zook
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3.30 pm: Panel discussion
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5.00 pm: Informal Networking & drinks
Organized by
About the organizers:
ICCOFounded in 1965, works together with a worldwide network of local partners on improving the lives of smallholders and connecting them to local and international markets. ICCO uses instruments such as grants, equity and loans to offer innovative solutions for the poor. ICCO partners with the Rabobank Foundation, for example in the ICCO Terrafina Microfinance Program. Recently, ICCO launched the Agri Business Booster, an innovative instrument that works with pre-growth agri SMEs in emerging markets that are not yet investable for banks and investors. Through a tailor made set of investments and business development services these companies grow to business maturity and social impact. ICCO has 7 regional offices, works in 44 countries and has an office in Washington DC since 2015 (registered as ICCO USA). For more information visit: www.icco-cooperation.com or follow @iccotweet on Twitter.
ISFThe Initiative for Smallholder Finance (ISF) (co-organizer) is a multi-donor and investor platform for the development of financial services for the smallholder farmer market. The ISFs primary role is to act as a "design catalyst." The emphasis is on mobilizing additional financing for smallholders and seeding replication of innovative models in new markets.
Rabobank FoundationAs the Foundation of the Rabobank (co-organizer) - a Dutch cooperative bank with a strong focus on food and agriculture - the Rabobank Foundations focuses on supporting smallholder farmers, who form the basis for the supply chain in developing countries. Its efforts are geared towards strengthening the economic base of these farming communities and to support them in becoming self-sustainable over time. Rabobank Foundation supports farmers organizations in 24 countries by putting up finance and by sharing the cooperative, banking and agricultural expertise that the Rabobank Group has built up over many years.Furthermore it works together with organizations like ICCO to support the next step of the development (Rabo Rural Fund) or with organizations like the Initiative of Smallholder Finance to discuss developments within the sector. For more information visit: www.rabobankfoundation.com or follow @rabofoundation on Twitter.
The Rural and Agricultural Finance Learning Lab
Grameen FoundationA global non-profit organization based in Washington DC that works to help poor families increase their income, build their financial security, and protect their health using innovative technology based approaches. Grameen Foundation's mission is, "To enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty.For more information visit: http://www.grameenfoundation.org/ or follow @grameenfnd on Twitter.
One Acre FundFounded in Kenya in 2006, One Acre Fund supplies smallholder farmers with the financing and training they need to grow their way out of hunger and poverty. Offering a complete bundle of services on credit, the nonprofit organization distributes quality seeds and fertilizer to the remote areas where farmers live, provides financing for farm inputs, trains farmers in agriculture techniques, and educates them on how to minimize post-harvest losses and maximize market prices. On average, farmers working with One Acre Fund realize at least a one hundred percent return on their investment and significantly increase farm income on every planted acre.www.oneacrefund.org@oneacrefund