8th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance Side Event : Unlocking the Potential of Public Development Banks for Green and Inclusive Food Systems
During a one-hour side event at the 8th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance, the Agri-PDB Platform brought together regional Public Development Banks — including AFC (Kenya), BOA (Nigeria), and AFD (France) — along with ALIDE, the network of PDBs and DFIs in Latin America and the Caribbean. The discussion explored how PDBs can scale green and inclusive finance through concessional lending, capacity building, and digital innovation.
8th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance Side Event :
Unlocking the Potential of Public Development Banks for Green and Inclusive Food Systems
27, October 2025 | Mombasa, Kenya
During the one-hour side event held at the 8th World Congress on Rural and Agricultural Finance, participants explored how Public Development Banks (PDBs) can accelerate investment in green, sustainable, and inclusive food systems.
The discussion positioned the topic within the Finance in Common (FiCS) initiative, a global network of over 500 PDBs , and underscored the growing recognition by UNDESA, FAO, and IFAD of PDBs as key enablers in aligning finance with national priorities and global development goals.
Within this framework, the Agri-PDB Platform, operating under the FiCS Agriculture Coalition and the UN Food Systems Coalition, has emerged as a central mechanism to strengthen the contribution of agricultural and rural PDBs. The Platform connects 138 member institutions across 96 countries, along with financial partners such as IFAD, AFD, GEF, and KfW, and is structured around three main pillars:
- Learning and Knowledge Management
- Capacity Building and Innovation
- Advocacy and Awareness Raising
Through collaborative action and knowledge sharing, the Agri-PDB Platform supports PDBs in scaling sustainable agricultural finance, strengthening food security, and promoting climate adaptation.
The session invited perspectives from regional PDBs that share common interests in the Platform’s work and explored potential synergies for collaboration.
Agricultural Finance Corporation (AFC – Kenya) emphasized the alignment between its priorities and the Platform’s mission, highlighting challenges such as limited access to long-term capital for green investments and high funding costs relative to concessional rates. AFC expressed interest in partnerships on blended finance, concessional lending, green finance, and digital systems.
Bank of Agriculture (BOA – Nigeria) shared its commitment to sustainable agricultural growth and rural livelihoods, identifying areas for collaboration including risk management tools, capacity building, digital finance solutions, and financial literacy to enhance smallholder resilience.
French Development Agency (AFD), a long-standing partner of the Platform, showcased its AGREENFI initiative combining technical assistance, grants, and financial instruments such as loans and guarantees. Between 2016 and 2024, AFD extended 23 credit lines totaling €1.35 billion, many of which are subsidized or backed by guarantee funds to enhance impact and de-risk investments. AFD also emphasized opportunities in integrating climate risk management, digitalization, and access to green finance instruments.
The session concluded with insights from ALIDE, the network of PDBs and DFIs in Latin America and the Caribbean, which highlighted the importance of peer learning and practical tools for resilient agrifood systems.
Looking ahead, the Agri-PDB Platform will continue to collaborate with its regional partners :APRACA, AFRACA, and ALIDE , to strengthen institutional and territorial capacities and scale inclusive and green financial solutions tailored to local contexts.
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