Agri-SME Finance: Navigating volatility in the wake of the war in Ukraine

The war in Ukraine is having devastating impacts on the prices of food, fuel and fertilizer. Small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises (agri-SMEs) are under unprecedented pressure, with many scaling back their operations, raising prices for consumers or cutting costs to maintain cash flow and margins. Now more than ever, agri-SMEs need capital for their businesses to survive.

This learning brief summarizes the challenges, opportunities, and responses of agri-SMEs, financiers and development partners to the current food crisis. It details recent innovations undertaken by agri-preneurs, trends in lending to the agriculture sector among financial service providers, and recommendations for development actors to more effectively mobilize private financing for agri-SMEs during times of crisis.

Watch our series on agri-SME finance in the wake of the war in Ukraine to learn more