Agricultural value chain finance innovations and lessons

Value chain finance arrangements and related innovations hold great potential for financial inclusion in agriculture and food systems, particularly in the context of tight value chains and for addressing the short term financial needs of the various actors. These can also contribute to linking financially excluded actors with financial institutions in the formal sector. This publication makes an important contribution to the expanding literature on agricultural value chain financing approaches by providing an overview of innovations and best practices from across Sub-Saharan Africa through 22 case studies. The chosen cases are of varying length and complexity. The emphasis is on learning from the practices which are presented. The synthesis document included within the publication is designed to introduce the cases, provide comparisons and discuss lessons learned. It is hoped that this publication will become a useful reference material for trainers and practitioners interested in the diverse experiences and latest innovations in business models, approaches, instruments and arrangements that contribute to improving access to finance for a host of agrifood value chain actors including small farmers, women and youths in Africa.