From May 20th to 22nd, NPCK participated in the Financing Agri-food Systems Sustainably (FINAS) 2025 dialogue. It convened stakeholders both locally and globally to explore innovative and inclusive financing models for resilient food systems. Themed around local ownership and sustainable solutions, the forum emphasized aligning national policies such as the domestication of the Kampala Declaration with investment priorities. It also highlighted the importance of expanding grassroots financial access, adopting agri-tech, and scaling post-production financing to reduce losses and improve farmer incomes.

These themes align with NPCK’s ongoing efforts under the Kenya Sustainable Potato Initiative (KSPI), supported by AGRA, to strengthen value chain financing in Kenya. Current initiatives link farmers, input suppliers, aggregators, and off-takers with financial service providers across various counties. Notably, input financing bundled with crop insurance has been rolled out to help farmers access quality inputs while managing production risks encouraging wider financial inclusion and investment in the potato sector.

A forward-looking highlight of the FINAS dialogue was the recognition of data as a form of collateral, enabling financial institutions to use farm-level and transaction data to assess creditworthiness. This approach supports more inclusive lending practices, especially for smallholder farmers with limited physical assets. Together, these insights and ongoing initiatives mark a shift toward smarter, de-risked, and digitally enabled financing that can transform Kenya’s agricultural landscape.

A moment captured during the FINAS 2025 forum where stakeholders convened at KICC.