How the Agri-PDB Platform is transforming food systems

Public development banks (PDBs) are essential to transforming our planet’s food systems. These institutions cover almost two-thirds of formal agriculture financing, filling financial gaps left by commercial banks.

Since 2021, IFAD has hosted a growing coalition of PDBs known as the Agricultural PDB (Agri-PDB) Platform. The Platform is a joint initiative with Finance in Common and is backed by a range of partners, including the European Commission and the French Development Agency.

Its 151 members come from all over the developing world. They include institutions with a specific agricultural mandate, such as Colombia’s FINAGRO and India's NABARD, and more general development banks such as the Development Bank of Ethiopia.

The Platform works to increase financing for sustainable, inclusive agriculture and food systems. But how exactly does it do this? Let’s explore the three main pillars of the Platform’s activities.

A core function of the Agri-PDB is building its members’ capacity to finance food systems transformation. The Platform’s comprehensive structural training has three levels and covers topics from risk management to digitization.

Members can also access tailored training that accounts for their local context and assessments that help them chart a way forward. The Platform provides on-demand technical support and advisory services for the development and implementation of new initiatives.

In Malawi, for example, the Platform collaborated with the Malawi Agriculture and Industrial Investment Corporation (MAIIC) to map the country’s PDB needs. Identifying key challenges and potential solutions paves the way to enhancing the country’s financial ecosystem and streamlining its adoption of sustainable practices.

The Platform also catalyses innovation, developing new tools that can benefit all its members. The ABC-Map, a geospatial data tool launched last year, has already been used to map the environmental impact of IFAD projects in Burkina Faso and Tajikistan.

When developing countries exchange knowledge, skills and resources, they can advance their progress towards overcoming shared challenges. This is the principle of South-South and triangular cooperation (SSTC), a core part of IFAD’s strategy.

The work of the Agri-PDB Platform follows the same blueprint. Through the Platform, members exchange knowledge, both virtually and through in-person visits between different PDBs.

Working groups are another avenue to share experiences, exploring specific topics selected by members over multiple sessions. A working group held in 2023, for example, discussed finance for climate adaptation and arrived at the need for better risk management, among other conclusions.

In addition, research is conducted by the Platform secretariat – hosted by IFAD – to generate new learnings and build effective models for financing sustainable food systems.

Finally, the Agri-PDB Platform is a forum for the promotion of sustainable, inclusive development. The Platform works to advocate for the importance of finance for transforming food systems, both within and outside of the coalition.

The work of its members is amplified around the globe through publications, learning resources and other updates published on the coalition website and beyond. The Platform ensures that the work of individual PDBs is known to others, facilitating partnerships and strengthening the network.

At international forums and summits around the world, IFAD and the Agri-PDB Platform will continue ensuring that financing for food systems transformation is at the top of the agenda – and catalysing the action to make it happen.