Last December 2024, IFC hosted its inaugural Agri-Finance meeting in Casablanca, bringing together IFC FIG Africa Clients and Partners for a day and a half of learning, networking, and knowledge exchange. The event centered on the critical role AgTech companies play in advancing food security and agricultural productivity across Africa.

Discussions focused on how innovative technologies, including data and AI, can enhance financial inclusion for farmers, address food security challenges, and drive sustainable agricultural practices. John Kamara, founder of Afya Rekod shared valuable insights on how these technologies, combined with financial support, can help meet the growing food demand while ensuring sustainability. AgTech partners showcased their innovative solutions, each unique in its approach, demonstrating how technology can boost productivity, improve access to finance, and mitigate risks in the agricultural sector.

A key highlight of the event was the emphasis on collaboration between financial institutions and AgTech companies to derisk funding in agriculture. Success stories such as the partnership in Morocco between SOWIT | AgriTech and AgriFinance, Alamana Microfinance Maroc, and Forafrica were shared, showcasing impactful solutions that scale agrifinance efforts.

The meeting was warmly received, with participants like Rodney Muriuki, Global Sales Director at Farmforce AS noting its value: "Thanks again for organizing an extremely insightful event. Lots of great conversations and hopefully meaningful projects in the pipeline for 2025 and beyond." AgTech participants such as Tolbi, agCelerant, and AgroSfer expressed gratitude, stating that IFC had "opened their eyes into a new brighter and tangible world.”

As agriculture faces increasing pressures from climate change, resource scarcity, and the need to feed a growing global population, the role of technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), in revolutionizing agri-finance becomes more critical than ever. At the heart of this transformation lies a wealth of opportunities—from reshaping financial inclusion for farmers to optimizing loan structures and risk management. However, the real potential of AI goes beyond yield predictions and disease detection. To truly harness its power, it’s essential to rethink how we integrate ecosystem-wide data analytics, reskill financial teams, and foster collaboration among key stakeholders, including agritech innovators, policymakers, and financial institutions. In this series, the IFC Clients and Partners delved deeper into the myriad ways AI is reshaping agricultural finance, from predictive analytics that enhance credit scoring to unlocking untapped opportunities in insurance and supply chain finance. This meeting served to explore how these advancements can build more resilient agricultural systems and empower smallholder farmers to thrive. Let’s reimagine the future of agriculture—one where technology and finance work hand-in-hand to create sustainable, inclusive solutions for the sector. 

Read full event blog here.

All speakers, facilitators, and participants contributed to the success of this event. This gathering marked the first of what hopefully will become an annual tradition to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among IFC FIG Africa Clients and Partners, paving the way for a brighter, more resilient future in Africa’s agricultural sector.