The Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF) is an alliance of social lending institutions, also referred to as impact-first agricultural lenders, targeting agricultural businesses in the “missing middle” in low- and middle-income countries, and focused on creating a thriving, sustainable and transparent financial market to serve the financing needs of small and growing agricultural businesses in low- and middle-income countries worldwide. CSAF members include AgDevCo, Alterfin, Global Partnerships, Impact Finance, Incofin Investment Management, Oikocredit, Rabo Rural Fund, responsAbility Investments AG, Root Capital, Shared Interest Society, SME Impact Fund, and Triodos Investment Management
Its mission is to facilitate market entry and increase lending to agricultural businesses in the missing middle, focus the agriculture finance sector on reaching and supporting the livelihoods of the world’s 450 million small-scale farmers and promote responsible lending principles, including social, environmental and corporate governance standards, among all financial institutions serving this market.
In June, the Grameen Credit Agricole Foundation has been unanimously approved by the CSAF global members as a new global affiliate. The Foundation and the Council will work together in the years ahead to strengthen CSAF and its efforts to build a growing and high-impact financial market serving agricultural enterprises globally.
Further information on the Foundation’s mission here
Further information on the CSAF here