Who funds climate-smart agriculture in Africa and emerging markets
218 matching capital sources on the AESFIP database · Last checked October 2026
Agriculture is the second-largest sector on our database by funder count, yet most agribusinesses still struggle to raise capital. The reason is structural: lenders want collateral and predictable cash flow, while farming carries weather, price and aggregation risk.
This guide lists the funders actively financing climate-smart agriculture, agribusiness, food systems and agroforestry in Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia and Latin America — and explains which instrument fits which stage of the value chain.
Find the right route for your project
Ask iSustain Advisor Live about agriculture finance for your country, sector, stage and ticket size. The question is pre-filled — just add your project details.
Match the instrument to the value-chain position
Agricultural finance is rarely one cheque. Funders tend to specialise by where a business sits in the chain.
- Smallholder programmes and cooperatives: grants, results-based finance and technical assistance, often through NGOs or government partners.
- Aggregators, processors and off-takers: working capital, trade finance and DFI credit lines on-lent through local banks.
- Growth-stage agribusiness and agritech: equity, mezzanine and patient debt from impact investors and DFIs.
- Large irrigated or processing assets: senior debt with guarantees or first-loss capital to cover weather and price risk.
What makes an agriculture deal bankable
Funders look for secured offtake, climate-resilience evidence (drought-tolerant inputs, irrigation, storage), aggregated supply and local-currency revenues matched to local-currency debt where possible.
The funders
Each profile shows mandate, instruments and sector appetite. Verified contacts and application routes are available to members.
- Common Fund for CommoditiesBlended Finance Facility · NetherlandsIntergovernmental financial institution providing loans, equity and grants to commodity value chain projects, with a strong focus on smallholder-linked agribusiness in Africa.DebtEquityGrants
- Transformative Carbon Asset Facility (TCAF)Climate FundThe Transformative Carbon Asset Facility (TCAF) is a World Bank trust fund designed to support developing countries in implementing market-based carbon pricing mechanisms and creating the conditions for private sector investment in low-carbon technologies. TCAF offers an innovative hybrid funding structure—mobilizing both climate finance and carbon market funding for payment against emission reductions.Technical Assistance
- WALD Innovation FacilityClimate FundThe Innovation Facility is a grant-making facility designed to support the development and scaling of innovative carbon projects. In doing so, it seeks to play a catalytic role in mobilizing private capital for high-quality, nature-based carbon projects that contribute to both climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation while delivering positive social impacts.Grants
- Africa Agriculture and Trade Investment FundBlended Finance Facility · LuxembourgPublic-private partnership fund (KfW, BMZ, Deutsche Bank) providing debt to agricultural value chains across Africa, with a technical assistance facility attached.DebtConcessional DebtTechnical Assistance
- Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Program (ASAP)Climate FundThe Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme is the International Fund for Agricultural Development’s (IFAD) main programme for channelling climate and environmental finance to smallholder farmers. The programme is incorporated into IFAD’s regular investment processes and is subject to rigorous quality control and supervision systems. Since starting its operations in 2012, ASAP funding in two distinct phases (ASAP1 and ASAP2) has received USD 300 million in contributions and has helped eight million vulnerable smallholders in 43 countries cope with the impact of climate change and build more resilient livelihoods. In 2021, the Enhanced Adaptation for Smallholder Agriculture Programme (ASAP+) was launched by IFAD as an expansion of the original ASAP initiative.Grants
- Root CapitalImpact Investor · United StatesDebtTechnical Assistance
- Le Fonds Français pour l'Environnement MondialGovernment AgencyThe French Facility for Global Environment (FFEM) is an international partner dedicated to global environmental protection and sustainable development. Created in 1994 by the French government, it has already supported over 400 projects in more than 120 countries, two-thirds of which are in Africa and the Mediterranean, contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).Grants
- CIF - Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR)Climate FundThe PPCR is designed to provide programmatic finance for climate resilient national development plans with four main objectives: Pilot and demonstrate approaches for integration of climate risk and resilience into development policies and planning Strengthen capacities at the national levels to integrate climate resilience into development planning Scale-up and leverage climate resilient investment, building on other on-going initiatives Enable learning-by-doing and sharing of lessons at country, regional and global levels. In addition, for regional programmes, the PPCR aims to strengthen cooperation and capacity at the regional level to integrate climate resilience into national and appropriate regional development planning and processes.PPCR’s tangible targets for the 31 recipient countries and 11 regional programmes it currently supports include: Bringing livelihood benefits to over 55 million people Developing over 835 plans or strategies at the local, sectoral and national levels Producing over 600 knowledge products, systems and studies Providing climate resilience training to over 200,000 government officials and public beneficiaries.Concessional DebtDebtGrants
- Sahel Capital Agribusiness ManagersImpact Investor · NigeriaNigeria/Mauritius-based fund manager running the Fund for Agricultural Finance in Nigeria (FAFIN) and Sahel Capital Agribusiness Fund II, a blended-finance vehicle providing equity and mezzanine capital to agribusinesses across Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d'Ivoire and Senegal.EquityMezzanineDevelopment Capital
- Small Island States Resilience Initiative (SISRI)Climate FundSmall Island States include two-thirds of the countries that face the highest relative losses due to natural disasters, and these costs are growing. The Small Island States Resilience Initiative (SISRI), supported through the World Bank and Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), is a global program established in response to calls by Small Island States for greater and more effective support to build their resilience. SISRI works through established procedures at the World Bank, while offering innovative and dedicated assistance specifically targeted at building resilience in Small Island States.Concessional DebtDebtGrants
- Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO)Government AgencyBIO-Invest is a public limited company established in November 2001 with an initial capital of €5 million, fully owned by the Belgian State. Over time, it received additional capital through development certificates from the Federal Public Service (FPS) for Development Cooperation, along with retained profits, reaching over €1.1 billion in assets under management by the end of 2022. BIO operates under the BIO law, with oversight from the Minister for Development Cooperation, and its collaboration with the FPS is governed by a 5-year management contract. BIO targets SMEs in emerging and developing countries, aiming to promote socio-economic growth through direct and indirect investments, with a focus on confidentiality and tailored approaches.Technical Assistance
- Global Agriculture and Food Security ProgramBlended Finance Facility · United StatesMulti-donor trust fund hosted at the World Bank providing grants and concessional finance for food security and climate-smart agriculture in low-income countries, with a dedicated private sector window through IFC.GrantsConcessional DebtTechnical Assistance
- FMO - Dutch Entrepreneurial Development BankDFI · NetherlandsDutch development bank focused on energy, agribusiness and financial institutions in Africa.DebtConcessional DebtEquity
- Building Prospects FundGovernment AgencyThe Building Prospects Fund is a climate-focused investment initiative jointly established by the Dutch government and FMO (Netherlands Development Finance Company). Originally known as the Infrastructure Development Fund (IDF), it was launched in 2002 to support private sector development in low-income countries through infrastructure investments.Concessional DebtDebtTechnical Assistance
- Subnational Climate FundClimate FundThe Subnational Climate Fund (SCF) invests in mid-sized ($5-$75m USD) infrastructure projects, including sustainable energy, waste and sanitation, regenerative agriculture, and nature-based climate solutions. We partner primarily with subnational authorities to identify and implement these projects, financed with a blend of concessional and conventional capital, along with Technical Assistance grants that help mitigate risk and ensure financial and environmental goals are achieved. The SCF Fund features a dedicated, grant-funded facility ($28M) for Technical Assistance (TA) that provides technical support and grant funding to stakeholders in identifying and strengthening investment proposals for the Fund. In addition to financial performance, it supports implementers in ensuring the achievement of National Determined Contributions (NDCs), SDG impacts, and Nature Based Solutions (NbS). With the GCF's financial support, TA is managed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and implemented together with the Catalytic Finance Foundation and Gold Standard.Concessional DebtDebtGrants
- Ocean Resilience and Coastal Adaptation Trust FundClimate FundThe Ocean Resilience and Coastal Adaptation Trust Fund (ORCATF) was established in March 2023 to increase the quantity and quality of investments in ocean health (including resilience and the blue economy) and coastal adaptation.Concessional DebtDebtGrants
- CeniarthCatalytic & Enabling Capital · United StatesImpact-first family office deploying roughly $400m into funds and intermediaries serving underserved communities, including African agriculture, financial inclusion and climate resilience.DebtConcessional DebtCatalytic Capital
- eco.business FundGovernment AgencyThe eco.business Fund is an impact investment fund that promotes biodiversity conservation and climate resilience by financing sustainable practices in nature-based businesses. It operates primarily in Latin America and Africa, two of the most biodiverse regions in the world. The fund finances the adoption of more sustainable practices by companies in Latin America and Africa. They provide financing via financial institutions to ensure more businesses can access capital. They also invest directly in businesses that are committed to sustainability. Their funding base unites public and private investors through their blended finance structure. In addition to financing, the fund supports their investees with Advisory & Capacity Building services funded by a separate pool of sponsors.Concessional DebtDebtTechnical Assistance
- International Fund for Agricultural DevelopmentMDB · ItalyConcessional DebtGrantsTechnical Assistance
- Climate Resilient Africa FundImpact Investor · UgandaEarly-stage fund investing risk capital in climate-resilient agribusiness and adaptation ventures across East and Southern Africa.EquityMezzaninePatient Debt
- Canada AfDB Climate Facility (CACF)Government AgencyThe Canada – African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF) is a Special Fund established in 2021 and structured as a blended climate change facility including an Investment Facility aimed at extending concessional loans to eligible climate change projects plus a Technical Assistance Facility that seeks to address the increased complexity, coordination requirements and reporting obligations related to climate change projects. The objective of CACF is to extend large-scale, long-term concessional loans to climate mitigation and adaptation projects that embed gender equality principles throughout the various phases of the project cycle, particularly the empowerment of women and girls.Concessional DebtDebt
- Adaptation FundClimate Fund · United StatesFinances concrete climate adaptation projects in developing countries.GrantsTechnical AssistanceProject Preparation
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Showing 22 of 218 matching capital sources. The remaining 196 — including their verified routes, ticket sizes and eligibility criteria — are reserved for members.
Common questions
- Can small farms get climate-smart agriculture funding directly?
- Rarely. Most capital reaches smallholders through cooperatives, aggregators, microfinance institutions or banks that receive DFI credit lines.
- Which instruments are most common for agribusiness?
- Working capital and trade finance for processors and traders, equity and mezzanine for growth companies, and grants or technical assistance for early-stage and smallholder programmes.