Agri-PDB training on Climate Finance and Agroecology: Positive Impact Portfolios |
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| 20-23 April 2026 | Rabat, Morocco
In April, the Agri-PDB Platform reached a key milestone in organising its first in person Agroecology Training. The event has been co-organised with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the European Union, the French Development Agency, the Biovision Foundation, and the Network of Agroecological Initiatives in Morocco (RIAM in French).
Bringing together Financial Institutions from Benin, Burundi, Morocco, Mali, Senegal, and Togo’s Agricultural Financing Incentive Mechanism (MIFA in French), the session marked the beginning of a collaborative effort to transform agricultural systems through sustainable and resilient practices. From strategic reflections on the role of Public Development Banks in advancing agroecological transitions to practical insights shared by the Crédit Agricole du Maroc, the first day emphasized the need to move beyond knowledge exchange toward concrete action. Discussions highlighted how financial institutions can integrate sustainability and resilience into their financing strategies, strengthen alignment with national priorities, and leverage innovative evaluation tools to support the transition toward sustainable and inclusive food systems. The second day participants bridged theory to practice, exploring how agroecology is implemented on the ground with RIAM and local farmers. During visits to a small-scale agroecological Farm Mama Ghaïa and the SME Direct Ferme, participants saw how agroecological farming diversifies revenues and sustainable sourcing can enable access to high-value local markets. Participants applied the B-ACT tool and learned how an agroecological assessment can be carried out in both farming and agro-processing settings. Overall, the second day emphasized that scaling agroecology requires not only financing, but also robust evaluation frameworks, partnerships, and a clear shift from knowledge to action.
Click here to read the article on the theoretical training and here to read on the field visit. |
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On the third day, participants visited the Fez–Meknès region in the Middle Atlas to engage with local agroecological actors. At La Pause des Bergers – Domaine Toumliline, a small agroecological farm adapting its practices to climate change. The exchange provided valuable insights into climate-resilient farming practices, business models, and financing-related challenges, sparking discussions on insurance, guarantees, and capacity-building support within the Moroccan agricultural financing ecosystem. The group then visited the Coopérative Tifrit, which promotes soil health and conservation agriculture through semi-direct seeding. Supported by government and NGO partnerships, the cooperative demonstrated how collective approaches can reduce risk, improve resource sharing, strengthen creditworthiness, and facilitate access to finance. |
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| On the fourth and final day of the training, participants visited the Salon International de l’Agriculture au Maroc (SIAM) in Meknès. Held annually in Meknès, the SIAM brings together a wide range of stakeholders, including public authorities, financial institutions, private sector actors, cooperatives, and development partners. As a leading regional platform, SIAM showcases agricultural innovation, promotes sustainable practices, and fosters dialogue and collaboration across the agricultural value chain. Get a glimpse of the visit by clicking on the video below. |
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| A second highlight of the fourth and final day of the training was the signing of a Letter of Intent between the Agri-PDB Platform and Crédit Agricole du Maroc, marking an important step forward in strengthening their strategic collaboration. The ceremony, held in the presence of Naoufel Telahigue, Regional Director of the Near East, North Africa and Europe Division (NEN), reflected a shared commitment to advancing inclusive and sustainable agricultural finance. The Letter of Intent aims to foster knowledge exchange, strengthen capacity building, promote tailored financial solutions adapted to rural contexts, and encourage the sharing of experiences among financial institutions across East and Southern Africa region (ESA) and West and Central Africa (WCA).
Watch the highlights of the Letter of Intent signing ceremony between the Agri-PDB Platform and Crédit Agricole du Maroc. |
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Webinar on Nutrition Mainstreaming Nutrition in Public Development Banks Investments: Entry Points and the NutrInvest Tool |
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| 8 April 2026 | Online
Given the growing priority that represents nutrition the Agri-PDB Platform collaborated with IFAD and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) to organise a webinar to explore how nutrition can be effectively integrated into investment strategies. The interactive session highlighted practical experiences from IFAD, La Banque Agricole du Senegal and GAIN, conceptual frameworks, and innovative tools, such as NutrInvest, demonstrating that integrating nutrition into finance is not only necessary but also achievable. The discussion reinforced a clear message: improving nutrition isn’t just about food quantity—it’s about quality, diversity, safety, and access. And achieving it requires coordinated, system-wide action. |
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Webinar on Biodiversity Financing Nature-Positive Agriculture: What Public Development Banks Can Do. Session 2 | Lessons from APR |
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| 16 April 2026 | Online
Building on the successful session held in December, which provided perspectives from the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES), the Agri-PDB Platform and IFAD’s Biodiversity team organised another session engaging KfW and the Bangladesh’ Apex Development Institution Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), to draw on the experience and approaches of institutions operating across Asia and the Pacific. Through concrete examples, such as KfW support to large-scale government-led programmes like zero budget natural farming and organic agriculture in Meghalaya, or the nature-positive farming approach “Ecological Farming System” implemented by PKSF in the northern part of Bangladesh, participants explored practical ways to scale nature-positive solutions. The discussion also highlighted synergies with climate finance and how existing tools, models, and approaches can be expanded through better coordination across finance, policy, technology, and partnerships. |
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IFAD and the Donor Platform at the 2026 ECOSOC Financing for Development Forum |
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| 20 April 2026 | UNHQ New York
In collaboration with IFAD and the Finance in Common Summit, and in response to the Seville Commitment, the Agri-PDB Platform organized a roundtable on “Financing Institutions’ Roundtable: Bridging Global and Local Finance for economic transformation at the first mile”. This side event brought together multilateral development banks, DFIs, PDBs, and partners to explore practical ways to strengthen ecosystem wide collaboration. Discussions focused on the agrifood sector and on how better coordinated financing can reach the “first mile” of rural communities. Building on leader level exchanges at the 2025 FfD4 Conference in Seville, the roundtable shared challenges and good practices for enhanced interoperability and strategic partnerships, with insights expected to inform Seville implementation efforts, IFAD’s Fourteenth Replenishment, and the G7 FiCS Special Event in April 2026. |
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Webinar on series on Key Performance Indicators
Trends and emerging challenges related to the development of KPIs - Webinar held in English |
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| 29 April 2026 | Online
The Agri-PDB Platform, together with Findev Advisory and Djossour Formation & Conseil continued its webinar series with a new session on current trends and emerging challenges in developing key performance indicators (KPIs). In this session, experts examined how KPIs are evolving in response to today’s challenges, why they matter, and which impact indicators are most commonly used to track agricultural transformation. Topics included income, employment, productivity, women and youth inclusion, resilience, sustainable practices, climate, and biodiversity. Erick Rodriguez Maldonado, representing FIRA Mexico, presented the PDB's experience in incorporating KPIs into its banking operations, highlighting the challenges faced around data, information systems, and internal capacity. |
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| | Strengthening the PDB Network |
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During the discussion with DBM, the bank noted that it is currently undergoing internal restructuring. Nevertheless, the exchange provided a valuable introduction and laid a foundation for potential future collaboration. |
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The exchange with FDB highlighted its interest in receiving the Platform’s support in two key areas. First, the bank is seeking technical expertise and capacity-building support for staff within its under-development Climate Finance Unit, with potential extension to other branches. Second, discussions touched on FDB’s positioning as a prospective host for the upcoming Regional Development Bank of the Pacific. |
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In May, the Agri-PDB Platform will organise an in-person side event on “Innovative financial instruments and technical cooperation to expand financial inclusion by public agricultural development banks in agri-food systems” during Alide’s 56th General Assembly held in Paraguay from 20-22 May. In the same dates, the Platform will also participate in the 2026 GRN Development Banking Research Conference, held in France, to present its research works on: (i) how PDBs align with Nationally Determined Contributions; and (ii) how PDBs can act as a stress-test for public development banking. In parallel, the Platform will continue its learning series with upcoming webinars in focusing on the countercyclical role of PDBs in poly-crisis and key performance indicators.
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| | | Want to explore more about Agri-PDB Platform? Follow us on our website, YouTube and LinkedIn! |
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