Highlights from the Agri-PDB Webinar on the Rural Transformation Financing Framework (RTFF): Unlocking Sustainable Private Capital for PDBs

Introduction 

The Agri-PDB Platform held a webinar on 23 October 2025 to present the Rural Transformation Financing Framework (RTFF), developed by International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Climate Bonds Initiative (CBI). Designed as a voluntary global public-good framework, the RTFF helps public development banks (PDBs) mobilize sustainable private capital for rural transformation. 

Setting the Scene

Thierry Latreille (Agri-PDB Platform) framed RTFF as a response to investor demands for credible frameworks, rigorous eligibility criteria, transparent selection processes, and robust reporting, which echoes lessons from last year’s Agri-PDB climate adaptation bonds webinar. He noted RTFF’s alignment with ICMA principles and SDGs, and its potential to mobilize private capital and strengthen market confidence for PDBs.  

Highlights 

• Malek Sahli (IFAD) stated the RTFF fills a clear market gap: while “green/blue” finance is well-standardized, rural transformation lacks a dedicated framework. He stressed that RTFF is a public good meant to codify best practice and place PDBs at the center of mobilizing private capital for rural livelihoods. 

• Sara Musa (IFAD) explained the RTFF structure around the four ICMA pillars—Use of Proceeds, Project Evaluation & Selection, Management of Proceeds, and Reporting—showing templates and real examples for each. She highlighted the framework’s flexible and adaptable design, which enables countries to align the RTFF with their national priorities while selectively applying relevant elements of the taxonomy. 

• Abraham Pedroza (Climate Bonds Initiative) underscored that market credibility depends on clear indicators. He said RTFF translates decades of rural-development practice into investor-ready language, mapping activities to SDGs, ICMA GBP&SBP, and IFAD core indicators to streamline due diligence and impact reporting. 

Key Takeaways for PDBs 

When used to structure labelled debt or loan portfolios, the Rural Transformation Financing Framework (RTFF) can help public development banks (PDBs) in multiple ways: 

• Practical guidance: Provides a ready-to-use blueprint for building or enhancing Sustainable Finance Frameworks (SFFs), including templates and real-world examples. 

• Rural-specific taxonomy: Helps define eligible project pipelines across six rural investment areas, improving credibility and comparability across DFIs. 

• Impact indicators: Supports allocation and impact reporting to investors, streamlining due diligence and demonstrating results. 

• Efficiency and flexibility: Enables faster structuring, cost savings, and the option to adopt the framework in full or in part. 

• Investor confidence: Aligns with ICMA principles, SDGs, and IFAD/CBI expertise, enhancing transparency, credibility, and market confidence. 

• Mobilizing private capital: Supports PDBs in channeling sustainable private investment toward rural transformation at lower administrative costs. 

As Abraham Pedroza put forward:   

“The invitation is to take the framework from the page to the field, tailor it to your context, map eligible projects to the taxonomy, and use the indicators to communicate real outcomes to investors.” 

Next steps 

• Availability: RTFF will be released publicly as a global public good (to be hosted on IFAD/CBI websites) with follow-up technical assistance and learning for PDBs.  

• Engagement: PDBs are encouraged to identify candidate pipelines, test RTFF components (taxonomy/indicators), and coordinate with Agri-PDB for bilateral support. 

• Collaboration: The Agri-PDB Platform plans to organize a working group on agricultural KPIs, sponsored by KfW, to further advance green finance. 

For PDBs exploring sustainable debt or portfolio-level lending for rural transformation, RTFF offers a credible, standardized pathway—from pipeline identification to impact reporting—built specifically for rural contexts.