- 03/11/2025
- Posted by: Sandra Borma
- Category: News
In a world marked by geopolitical upheavals, persistent economic instability, and growing pressure to finance sustainable solutions, the question of access to finance for agricultural enterprises has taken on renewed importance.
The discussions held on the 2 October during the EDFI (European Development Finance Institutions) Management Company Corporate Day 2025 and on the 1-2 October at the Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF) Convening highlighted a shared conviction: development finance can only be effective when built upon a solid foundation of technical assistance.
A turning point for development finance
Under the theme “At the Crossroads,” the EDFI conference brought together in Brussels leading stakeholders in development finance — European institutions, multilateral banks, impact investors, and portfolio companies — to reflect on the future direction of impact investment.
All emphasized the need to rethink the development finance value chain, integrating stronger dimensions of resilience, partnership, and environmental and social responsibility.
The exchanges particularly underscored the central role of the European Union, which aims to position itself as a global gateway for sustainable development finance. Within this framework, blended finance mechanisms and technical assistance (TA) programmes emerge as two complementary levers for mobilising private capital, mitigating perceived risks, and strengthening local capacities.
Technical assistance: a key driver of trust
It is recognized among financial institutions and investors that TA is no longer a peripheral support tool, but a strategic de-risking instrument.
By supporting agricultural enterprises in structuring operations, training staff, and complying with standards, TA directly enhances the sustainability of projects.
This perspective was reinforced during the CSAF Convening, which gathered leading agricultural finance organisations.
Members of the network highlighted that most TA programmes are now integrated post-investment, to ensure the success and durability of financing, while also stressing the need to develop pre-investment approaches that better reflect on-the-ground realities. Priority needs identified include financial management, strategic planning, digitalisation, impact monitoring and evaluation, and market access.
COLEAD’s positioning: building bridges between finance and impact
Through its participation in these events, COLEAD reaffirmed its role as a bridge-builder between the financial sector and operational implementation.
With its strong roots in agricultural value chains and deep understanding of entrepreneurial ecosystems — particularly in sub-Saharan Africa — COLEAD helps translate financial ambitions into tangible field-level impact.
Its technical assistance interventions — whether supporting inclusive value chain development, improving agri-business governance, or strengthening sustainability practices — help create the conditions for viable and transformative investment.
COLEAD thus positions itself as a catalyst of trust between investors, public institutions, and private actors in the Global South.
A shared vision towards 2030
Across both the EDFI and CSAF discussions, one conclusion emerged clearly: access to finance can no longer be separated from access to know-how.
The success of agricultural projects will depend on the collective ability to combine patient capital, financial innovation, and tailored technical assistance.
In this perspective, COLEAD continues to advance its mission of making technical assistance a driver of sustainable investment, serving a more resilient, inclusive, and job-creating agriculture.
