Curtains have fallen on the Financing Agri-Food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2025 Summit in Nairobi with speakers and participants unanimously calling for reforms in financing the agricultural sector.
The 3-day summit held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) has decried the poor financing structures for the agri-food systems on the African continent.
The Summit brought together a diverse assembly of African and international stakeholders under the theme ‘Taking Ownership: Rethinking Sustainable Financing for Africa’s Food Systems’.
The Summit happens at a time when the continent’s population is growing rapidly and technology penetration is fast reaching most famers including smallholder farmers, who despite producing over 70 percent of Africa’s food, still operate within highly fragmented and underdeveloped value chains.
Speaking during the conference Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Cabinet Secretary for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs Musalia Mudavadi said that financing remains fragmented, overly collateralized, and concentrated in a few high-value chains, leaving out the backbone of our food systems
“Too often, capital flows bypass smallholder farmers, overlook women producers, or are structured in ways that fail to reflect the seasonality, risk profile, and diversity of the agricultural sector” he said
Mudavadi said the government is committed to ensuring the thriving agri-food system by de-risking rural finance through credit guarantee schemes, scaling e-voucher systems to reach remote farmers, and co-investing in value-addition hubs across maize, dairy, horticulture, and fisheries
“This is the shift we are called to make: from transactional to transformational financing, one that does not just react to crises but anticipates opportunity,” he said adding that financing unlocks land, labour, and local knowledge—not in silos but as part of a coherent strategy for sustainable, inclusive agricultural transformation.”
FINAS Director Charity Mutegi said the Summit successfully wrapped up a series of vital conversations and strategic engagements pivoted upon a shared vision to revolutionize agricultural financing.
“The Summit showcased significant progress, innovative solutions, and reinforced commitments toward fostering a robust, inclusive, and technology-driven agricultural finance ecosystem,” she said adding that
She divulged that conversation must continue on critical issues highlighted at the summit including credit guarantee systems, crop and livestock insurance services, equipping leasing models, inclusive financial products, youth and women-friendly financial products, harnessing local financial initiatives among others.
“It is possible to close Kenya’s, and I believe Africa’s, agricultural financing gaps within one generation,” she said adding that the momentum generated at FINAS 2025 affirms our collective resolve to revolutionize agricultural financing.
Mutegi said through innovation, collaboration, and unwavering commitment, we are paving the way for sustainable growth that empowers farmers, attracts investments, and substantially contributes to food security and economic development.
“We look forward to continued engagements as we shift gears to FINAS 2026 planning and implementing the recommendations of FINAS 2025,” she said adding that the Summit must evolve beyond an annual dialogue forum to become a platform for continuous and measurable day-to-day conversations on financing Africa’s Food Systems.
In his remarks while closing the conference, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development Wycliffe Oparanya said FINAS had moved from a national forum to the leading platform on food systems financing in Africa.
Oparanya said it is clear that financing for Africa’s food systems remains well below required levels to deliver sustainable transformative change in the sector noting that we need to critically relook our policy landscapes.
“Adoption of the Kampala Declaration is a timely and welcome commitment,” he said adding that it is time that we onboard bold forward-thinking financing approaches to unlock capital and catalyze transformation of Africa’s food systems.
The CS underscored the critical role played by MSMEs in financing Agri-food systems and that it is through such ventures most last mile farmers will be reached.
“This cannot happen without recognizing the role of MSMEs such as co-operatives as they are the lifeblood of Kenya’s economy. They drive job creation, innovation, and inclusive growth,” he said.
The active participation and constructive exchanges have underscored a collective commitment to transforming agricultural financing landscapes across the region.
Summit delegates engaged in dynamic discussions centered around key action areas towards sustainable agri-food system financing, inclusive finance, strengthening farmer cooperatives, policy and regulatory environment reforms, de-risking investments, leveraging technological innovations, digitalization, research partnerships, capacity building, and knowledge sharing among others.
By Anita Omwenga
