Rural microfinance and rural finance systems are key in the development of agricultural value chains, because they enable producers and producer organisations to invest in their means of production or to bridge periods where there is a lack of financial resources. Increasingly, online tools and online financial services are being used to facilitate financial transactions in the agricultural sector. These offer interesting opportunities to improve access to financial services for the rural population.
Fair & Sustainable provides support on creating access to finance and improving financial services in the rural sector. F&S has a long term experience through its involvement in ICCO Terrafina Microfinance, whose aim is to improve financial and technical support to rural finance providers and increase access to rural finance As international product manager for ICCO Terrafina Microfinance, a complete package of financial and technical support services are offered to support African microfinance institutions (MFIs), rural SME’s and investors.
Type of services for include:
- Organizational assessments (using MicroScore tool on governance, products and services, financial and social performance, and sustainability outlook)
- Business planning support including detailed financial projections
- Systems and procedures support including guidance to digitalization processes for management information systems, mobile money and digitizing agricultural loan processes
- Financial product design and development for smallholders, women and youth, financial services for agricultural value chains and of recent, integration of climate resilience into rural financial services
- Evaluation of effects of financial services on providers and clients
- Meso- level: financial sector mapping and gab analysis, strategy and program development, project preparation integration of financial services in market systems and climate resilience project.
- Brokering for loans, investments, and development of guarantee facilities for international investors in the sector.
Recent Projects
Climate resilient finance: development of climate resilient financial services in The TREPA progamme Rwanda – Cordaid, 2021–2022
A 5-year program to support climate adaptation through public and private sector interventions including value chain development and financial services.
Consultant: Mariel Mensink
Development of digital financial services for women savings groups in Rwanda– WFP/Cordaid, 2021-2022
Developing digital financial services for the WFP program, linking savings groups in the Maize value chain to financial service providers.
Consultant: Mariel Mensink
Assess, refine, and develop viable loan products to dairy value chain actors in Moyale – CST/SCIF, 2022
A report highlighting the loan infrastructure, developing/ refining a viable loan product, lending methodology, and strategies to improve access to finance.
Consultants: Wondwossen Mebratu and Abdissa Tegene
Development of Agriculture Credit analysis tool – Cordaid, 2017-2020
Support to design and test the tool, with guidance on institutionalization and digitalization of the tool.
Consultant: Mariel Mensink, Bart de Bruyne
Coordination of the rural finance group for the Dutch inclusive finance platform including coordination of several studies – NPM, 2010-2020
Studies on financial services for women, geo-data use for agri-finance, and risk mitigation strategies for financing smallholders.
Consultant: Mariel Mensink
Strengthening African Rural Smallholders (STARS) Program – ICCO / Mastercard Foundation, 2016-2021
Program design, training, strategy development, and coaching to strengthen financial services in eight value chains in Rwanda, Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and Senegal.
Consultants: Mariel Mensink, Bart de Bruyne
Micro-finance, agri-finance and value chains programme (MAVC) – ICCO, Dutch Embassy Burundi, 2014-2020
Proposal development, monitoring, training, coaching, and facilitating internal learning of the programme staff.
Consultants: Mariel Mensink, Bart de Bruyne