Conférences

The African Rural and Agricultural Credit Association (AFRACA), The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the Rural Development Department (ARD) of the World Bank jointly organised an expert meeting in Johannesburg from 1-3 April on risk management in lending to the agricultural value chain.

The main objective of the meeting was to identify the factors that contribute to successful credit risk management and how improved risk management practices can lead to increased access to agricultural finance. The focus was on identifying all tools, structures and strategies which can improve access to finance for farmers, and other agricultural value chain actors. The meeting concluded that financing agriculture is viable and sustainable if supported by sound risk assessment and risk management at all levels in the agricultural value chain.

The findings of the meeting will be published in a document “Agricultural Risk Management Guide”. This Guide will present “good practice” in successful financial institutions, showing structures, tools and instruments which have been developed to facilitate agricultural lending, either fully operational or in pilot stages of development.