From Fragile Engagement to Inclusive Impact

Organizers: AgriBridge: Facilitated by Welthungerhilfe and AKADEMIYA2063

Transforming Africa’s agrifood systems in an increasingly uncertain global context demands smart and inclusive financing. Yet, public funds are stretched thin, private capital tends to underinvest in agriculture, while smallholders, pastoralists, SMEs, and women are too often left out of the financing equation. To address these challenges, AgriBridge, the African-German Policy Network for Sustainable Agrifood Systems, will convene a side event at the Africa Food Systems Forum under the theme "Innovative Financing for Inclusive and Resilient Agrifood Systems Transformation."

The event will bring together researchers, policymakers, development partners, and practitioners to enable exchange on innovative financing approaches, including multi-stakeholder agrifood financing coalitions, blended finance and de-risking instruments such as trade credit guarantees for women entrepreneurs. It will also foster constructive dialogue on strengthening more self-reliant financing models while considering the catalytic role of ODA.

Key takeaways from the session will include:

• A deeper understanding of innovative financing approaches, including blended finance, de-risking instruments, and agrifood financing coalitions, and their potential to catalyze resilient and inclusive agrifood systems investments
• Best practice examples and political recommendations on agrifood systems finance
• Clear mechanisms for financing to better reach underserved actors—particularly smallholders, pastoralists, SMEs, and women—to support equitable economic growth and transformation
• Pathways that will simultaneously strengthen more sustainable and increasingly self-reliant financing models, while leveraging the strategic and catalytic role of ODA