A Bridge Between Food and Finance – Building on the Nairobi Learning Event In Kenya financial services play a vital role in transforming food systems to become more sustainable, inclusive, and climate-resilient. Yet access to appropriate finance remains a key bottleneck, especially for youth, smallholder farmers, and innovative agri-entrepreneurs. Building on the learning event in Nairobi (April 2025), actors from Kenyan financial institutions—both public and private—are invited to join the Community of Practice (CoP) on Finance for Sustainable Food Systems. This CoP offers a space for joint learning, innovation, and collaboration to tackle real challenges in food systems finance.
Why a Community of Practice?
There is a clear need for stronger connections between the food and finance sectors. On one side, financial institutions are looking for bankable opportunities; on the other, food system stakeholders need innovative financial instruments—such as climate finance, blended finance, or de-risking tools—to make investments viable.
The CoP acts as a neutral platform where these actors can come together to build shared understanding and co-develop context-specific financial solutions that support sustainable food systems in Kenya and beyond.
Who is this community for?
The CoP is open to challenges emerging from food systems actors in Kenya and other countries in the region. Whether you're a financial institution, farmer group, NGO, knowledge institute, or entrepreneur, you are welcome to bring forward real-life issues that need new financing approaches.
Together with peers and experts, the CoP will co-create and test solutions, grounded in local realities and designed for impact.
CoP Objectives
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Co-create and pilot innovative solutions to financing challenges in sustainable food systems (e.g., “how can youth in agribusiness access finance?” or “how can future carbon credits be used as collateral for loans?”)
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Exchange and build knowledge around food systems finance, and share insights broadly through the NFP online platform and events.
Join the Movement
Are you working at the intersection of food and finance in Kenya? Do you want to be part of a learning network that tackles real-world challenges? Join the Community of Practice and help shape the future of sustainable food systems finance.
Authors
Babette Bodlaender
Lisette van Benthum
NFP Coalition Builder
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