Inflection Point: Unlocking growth in the era of farmer finance

The Initiative for Smallholder Finance and the Rural and Agricultural Finance Learning Lab released a new study titled “Inflection Point: Unlocking growth in the era of farmer finance.” Following decades of more singular approaches to providing smallholder farmers with financial services, the smallholder finance industry is currently at an inflection point in the new era of “farmer finance.” The report explains that this era is marked by a more sophisticated understanding of the sector, including a more diverse set of actors, new approaches to collaboration, and greater access to information and technology than ever before. The study suggests that while current efforts to expand access to finance are not sufficient to meet smallholder demand, concerted efforts around customer centricity, progressive partnerships, and smart subsidy have the potential to change the sector’s growth trajectory to best serve the world’s smallholders.