Landmark summit to drive agri-food financing in Africa

The conference in Nairobi hopes to bridge the financing gap, catalyze innovation, and help build a resilient agri-food future for Africa

By Zablon Oyugi

yuzablon@gmail.com

All roads will lead to the iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) in Nairobi from May 20-22 when Kenya will host the highly-anticipated Financing Agri-food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) Summit 2025. With the agri-food sector being the cornerstone of Africa’s economic progress, the forum aims to chart ways of bridging gaps in food systems financing.

Under the theme: “Taking ownership: Rethinking sustainable financing for Africa’s food systems”, the FINAS 2025 Summit will be a critical platform to explore, unlock and revolutionise sustainable financing solutions to secure Africa’s food future. This shall be achieved by uniting global leaders, policymakers, innovators, financiers and food systems stakeholders.

“At a time when African governments are increasingly committed to self-sufficient financing mechanisms, the FINAS Summit 2025, stands as a vital platform to reimagine agri-food financing through innovative models, digital transformation and strategic partnerships that align with the Africa Union’s Kampala Declaration on food security and sustainability. We are calling on all visionaries to join us in redefining agri-food financing for a resilient and inclusive future,” stated Dr. Kipronoh Ronoh, Kenya’s Principal Secretary at the State Department for Agriculture, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

Addressing the funding challenge

Despite agriculture’s vital role in boosting GDP and alleviating poverty, the sector receives much less funding than others. Agriculture receives only 3 percent of global development funding, according to the World Bank, a discrepancy that FINAS 2025 is determined to tackle. The summit will delve into the multifaceted challenges impeding investment, including high perceived risks, transaction costs, and limited access to finance for smallholder farmers and agri-SMEs. Through dynamic sessions, experts will discuss groundbreaking financing models designed to de-risk investments and attract diversified capital.

Innovative solutions and digital transformation

At the FINAS Summit 2025, technology and digital innovation shall take center stage. The summit will leverage digital solutions to boost infrastructure development, streamline agricultural supply chains, and reduce food loss and waste. These initiatives highlight the event’s commitment to harnessing technology as a catalyst for progress, transforming traditional practices and opening new avenues for sustainable financing within the agri-food sector.

The focus areas

The FINAS Summit aims at revolutionising agri-food systems through innovative and inclusive solutions with four main focus areas, namely; Inclusive Food Systems Policy, The Youth A-Gender, Funding Resilience, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, as well as Innovation, Data, and Technology.

The Inclusive Food Systems Policy will highlight Kenya’s domestication of the Kampala Declaration as a case study and showcase the progress in repurposing fertiliser subsidy models. Discussions at the summit will explore the public sector’s pivotal role in enhancing agri-food finance, the application of blended finance approaches, and an overview of regulatory frameworks to strengthen agricultural financing.

The Youth A-Gender will spotlight tailored financial instruments for youth and women, initiatives to boost SME financial literacy, and strategies for banking the unbanked, with the co-operative movement as a key driver.

On Funding Resilience, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation, the summit will address the critical need for de-risking food system actors and investments while sealing the leaking pipeline for smallholder farmers, advancing biodiversity, and defining a green finance taxonomy.

Innovation, Data, and Technology will feature the scaling up of financial access and last-mile delivery through digital innovation, while driving technology adoption, leveraging data, and exploring future directions to bolster food system processes.

Awarding excellence

Additionally, the summit will recognise excellence in best-fit financing solutions for the sector, with awards in categories such as Financial Inclusion, covering youth and gender inclusion, MSMEs, and responsiveness to the “unbankable”; Best-fit Agricultural Insurance Solutions, and Innovative Funding Technologies.

Components of the summit

The FINAS Summit unfolds in a dynamic and thoughtfully structured format, ensuring maximum engagement and impact. The journey begins with pre-conference dialogues, setting the stage for robust conversations and fostering meaningful partnerships.

The main summit will be packed with exciting elements, including keynote speeches by thought leaders, interactive breakout sessions, an innovative hackathon to tackle pressing challenges, and captivating exhibitions showcasing groundbreaking solutions and ideas. Following the main event, post-conference dialogues will extend the conversation, driving actionable outcomes and sustaining the summit’s influence.

“As the co-lead of the Innovation, Data and Technology focus area, the Fintech Association of Kenya (FINTAK) will drive forward critical conversations on leveraging digital innovation to transform agricultural financing across Africa. This pivotal role recognises Kenya’s leadership in fintech innovation and FINTAK’s commitment to applying technological solutions to pressing development challenges. Agricultural financing represents one of the most significant opportunities for fintech innovation in Africa,” said George Abwajo, a board member of FINTAK.

Roadmap to sustainable development

Aligned with the Africa Union’s Kampala Declaration and the 10-year Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) Strategy and Action Plan, the FINAS Summit 2025 will map out a comprehensive roadmap for sustainable agri-food development. With ambitious commitments to increase agrifood output by 45 percent by 2035, reduce post-harvest loss by 50 percent, and triple intra-African trade, the summit will provide actionable insights into policy reforms, regulatory improvements, and strategic investments.

These discussions aim to transition Africa from traditional agricultural transformation to a broader approach to sustainable food systems, addressing current funding challenges and paving the way for long-term food security and economic growth.

“Now, more than ever, Africa needs bold, homegrown solutions. The FINAS Summit 2025 will bring together the best minds to tackle these challenges head-on, fostering partnerships and driving innovation that will empower our agri-food systems for generations to come,” added Dr. Ronoh.

“The FINAS 2025 summit comes at a critical moment when digital transformation is creating unprecedented opportunities to reimagine agricultural financing. Thought leadership initiatives such as the FINAS Summit, which is focusing the conversation on the food systems transformation agenda and providing a platform for stakeholders to propose sustainable solutions for financing agri-food systems in Africa, are crucial. The future of food systems transformation hinges on the ability of African governments to create homegrown solutions that do not hinge on foreign aid as the silver bullet. The diminishing, unassured external financial support necessitates greater innovation, with leaders leveraging domestic resources to build self-sustaining food systems”, said Dr. Charity K. Mutegi, the FINAS Summit Director.

The FINAS 2025 Summit comes at a critical moment when Africa is facing unprecedented challenges, including climate change, political instability, and evolving international funding policies. Through focused dialogue and collaborative action, the summit is poised to unlock sustainable financing solutions that will secure a resilient and prosperous agri-food future for the continent.

FINAS Summit 2025: finas.rootooba.com