Agri-PDB Missions to Senegal, Mali, and Benin in April 2025: Advancing Green Finance

 Agri-PDB Missions to Senegal, Mali, and Benin in April: Advancing Green Finance under the ILSA Programme

Unlocking Sustainable Credit Solutions with LBA Senegal 

From April 9–11, 2025, the Agri-PDB Platform in partnership with Aliénor Consulting conducted a mission to Dakar to assess technical support needs for La Banque Agricole (LBA) of Senegal, under the EU-funded ILSA Programme (Investing in Livelihood Resilience and Soil Health). The mission focused on identifying technical needs, fostering synergies with IFAD, AFD, and ILO, and introducing the agroecology tools for sustainable credit analysis. 

Meetings were held with multiple LBA departments—Partnerships, Risk & Compliance, Business Development, and Operations—highlighting needs around seasonal loan timing, data reliability, E&S risk evaluation, and modular tool design. LBA emphasized autonomy and return on investment in tool adoption, while reinforcing its commitment to transparency and internal monitoring. A promising digital solution integrating financial, environmental, and social scoring was presented. Its adoption will require local adaptation and staff training. The IFAD Country Office expressed interest in deeper collaboration, including peer exchanges and regional agroecology training. The mission concluded with key follow-ups: reactivating LBA’s internal workflow module, piloting tailored models for irrigation and aquaculture, nominating staff for training, and exploring LBA’s contribution to a nutrition-sensitive finance event. Next steps also include collaboration with the Global Accelerator to enhance alignment and impact across green finance initiatives. 

Supporting Agroecological Finance in Mali 

From April 12–15, 2025, a mission to Bamako, Mali marked a pivotal step in supporting the National Bank for Agricultural Development (BNDA) of Mali in scaling up agroecological finance.  

A key highlight of the mission was the Agri-PDB Platform’s participation in the national validation workshop of the IGREENFIN Operations Manual. Bringing together government officials, agricultural chambers, IFAD projects, and producer groups, the workshop ensured alignment between IGREENFIN and BNDA’s green finance strategies. The Platform promoted synergy with ILSA objectives and reinforced BNDA’s role in delivering accessible agroecological financing. In parallel, a multi-stakeholder meeting with IFAD, the EU, FAO, GIZ, KfW, Swiss Cooperation, and others provided a forum to review coordination challenges. Discussions emphasized the need for clearer roles between BNDA, regional agricultural chambers, and ongoing projects like Inclusive to better support farmers and improve project delivery. The mission also featured a demonstration of the Calao tool—a digital system developed with Aliénor Consulting to help BNDA evaluate agricultural credit applications. The mission concluded with a jointly defined roadmap outlining concrete next steps: finalizing a green credit rating grid, organizing BNDA staff training, integrating climate risks and non-timber products into tools, piloting the Calao tool in two regions, and launching regular consultation meetings to sustain collaboration and knowledge exchange. 

Strengthening Agroecological Investment with CDCB Benin

From April 16 to 18, 2025, the Agri-PDB Platform in partnership with Aliénor Consulting carried out a technical mission to Cotonou Bénin to support the Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations du Bénin (CDCB) in enhancing its engagement in agroecological finance. The mission aimed to help align CDCB’s operations with national and international goals for soil health, biodiversity, and sustainable food systems. 

CDCB expressed strong interest in developing a dedicated agroecology and biodiversity investment strategy, distinct from its existing climate finance roadmap supported by the African Development Bank. Capacity building emerged as a key priority. CDCB staff underlined the need for training in agroecological project evaluation, ESG analysis, and legal frameworks. A tailored in-person training is now planned to strengthen internal expertise. In parallel, the institution highlighted the need to develop and adapt tools for climate risk mapping, legal and environmental appraisal, impact monitoring, and agroecological scoring. Discussions with partners such as AFD and the Dutch Embassy opened new opportunities for resource mobilization and joint development of green financial instruments. The Agri-PDB Platform will support CDCB in finalizing its agroecology strategy, launching technical assistance, and building investable project pipelines. The mission laid important groundwork for CDCB’s evolving role in inclusive and sustainable finance in Benin.