Certified Expert in Sustainable Agricultural Finance

Overview

Farming is everyone's business! The below facts try to prove this bold statement:

Firstly, the world population will reach 10 billion by the year 2050, and global food demand will increase by some 50 percent until then. Yet, 30 percent of global food production is lost and wasted.

Secondly, the food sector is responsible for 26 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions which cause climate change. Moreover, up to 2,000 species of wild animals and plants are estimated to become extinct each year, and modern agriculture is the main driver of this biodiversity loss. On top of that, we lose almost 1 percent of global farmland every year due to environmental degradation.

Thirdly, there are an estimated 570 million farms worldwide, 84 percent of them are smallholdings with less than 2 hectares of land. These farms operate only 12 percent of all agricultural land on our planet, but still produce roughly one-third of the world's food.

These factual highlights are the foundation of our new e-learning program “ Certified Expert in Sustainable Agricultural Finance ” (CESAF). The self-paced online course focuses on the central question how financial institutions can help farmers – especially poor smallholders - to shift to sustainable agricultural practices that lead to secured livelihoods, better working conditions on farms, and enhanced resilience to climate change.

Improved access to finance plays a significant role in the transformation of the food and agriculture sector. Farmers and agribusinesses need loans, insurance, leasing, and many other financial services to become more sustainable. Financial institutions seek qualified employees who understand the financial needs and dynamics in agricultural value chains.