Food Systems Finance E-Course Alumni Share Results at FINAS 2026
First and Second Cohorts Demonstrate How Systems Thinking Reshapes Institutional Practice. NFP hosted a masterclass at FINAS 2026 bringing together alumni from the Food Systems Finance E-Course. Launched in 2025, the course completed its first cohort that year. A second cohort ran in 2026. At FINAS, alumni from both cohorts shared how the training translated into institutional change.
Shifting Mindsets
Panel members, including Vincent Marangu (Co-operative Bank of Kenya), Vincent Kiarie (Moto Capital), Mike Kipgeno (TechnoServe), Susan Wambocha (LM International), and Sarah Waceke (Agricultural Finance Consultant), discussed how the course changed their approach to agricultural finance.
Participants moved beyond viewing finance narrowly as lending. Instead, they began seeing finance as a strategic enabler of sustainable food systems transformation. This shift affected how they design financial products, assess credit risk, and communicate the development impact of their work.
Concrete Example
Co-operative Bank of Kenya used knowledge from the course to strengthen its narrative around food systems finance. This helped the organization secure grant funding for agri-food systems finance initiatives.
What Participants Appreciated
The course's holistic approach examines the entire food system, from production to consumption. Financial institutions reported piloting catalytic financing models and integrating environmental and social considerations into credit assessment.
Author
Huiberdien Sweeris
Policy Advisor @NFP
