The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled " The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.

The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":

 

https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled " The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.

The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":
https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.
 

• The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":
  https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/
   
• The attached document below presents in English the methodology and the main results of the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions, Sicredi, 2023"

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.

• The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":
  https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/
   
• The attached document below presents in English the methodology and the main results of the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions, Sicredi, 2023"

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.
 

• The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":
  https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/
   
• The attached document below presents in English the methodology and the main results of the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions".

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.
 

• The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":
  https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/
   
• The attached document below presents in English the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled "The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions".

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled " The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.

The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":
https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/

The attached document presents the methodology and the main results on the working papers series titled " The Economic Benefits of Credit Unions":

Working paper 1 (2019): “Economic Benefits of Credit Unions on the Brazilian Economy”.
Research conducted by FIPE, a foundation linked to the prestigious Economics Department of the Universidade de São Paulo (FEA-USP), and presenting:
(i) a descriptive analysis of cooperativism history and characteristics in Brazil;
(ii) a comparative analysis between the credit balances between the aggregate of Brazilian credit unions (CU) and banks and; 
(iii) econometrical exercises on the impact.

Working paper 2 (2020): “Impact over the national bancarization”.
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD, an associated professor at PUC-Rio, introducing:
(i) the profile of CU’s branches over the Brazilian territory and 
(ii) the estimation of the minimum threshold for branch establishment of banks and CU’s.

Working paper 3 (2021): “Territorial financial covering amplification”.
Research conducted by the economics team of Sicredi, presenting:
(i) an indicator that ranks Brazilian municipalities by the unattractiveness to the bank sector and
(ii) an evaluation of the branches chain of public banks, private banks and CU.

Working paper 4 (2022): “Efectiveness of the credit cooperativism".
Research conducted by Juliano Assunção, PhD., introducing: 
(i) the use profile in places where CU’s physical branch is solo;
(ii) the effect on credit access of a CU’s branch and; 
(iii) the proximity as a condition to a deeper financial inclusion.

The four working papers are available on the Sicredi website (in Portuguese language), on the "Cooperativismo de Crédito" page, section "Estudos sobre o cooperativismo":

 

https://www.sicredi.com.br/site/sobre-nos/cooperativismo/

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday 1 June 2023
Time: 9:00-10:30 EDT (UTC-4)
Interpretation services: in English and Spanish
Location: Online webinar via Webex

REGISTRATION

To join the conversation, please register at:
https://worldbankgroup.webex.com/weblink/register/r63dce36af0ac79ff3f1e4fa993258f81

OVERVIEW

Agriculture cooperatives are an integral part of agriculture value chains. They enable their member farmers to reduce operational costs, increase productivity, and enhance profitability by collectively procuring high-quality inputs and selling agricultural produce to the markets. In addition, many cooperatives provide financial services to their members. These services are neither well-recorded nor properly regulated in many countries, but agriculture cooperatives are prominent providers of financial services (prominently credit, but in many cases also of deposit, insurance, and payment services) for many farmers who are often excluded from formal financial services. 

This webinar will explore how to enhance access to finance for smallholder farmers by supporting agriculture cooperatives and provide a space to discuss if and how to integrate them into the financial sector regulation, supervision, and financial safety net.

AGENDA

• 9:00 am – 9:10 am: Opening remarks
• 9:10 am – 9:25 am: Speaker: Michael von During, Technical Specialist, The Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), IFAD;
• 9:25 am – 9:40 am: Speaker: Norbert Tuyishime, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF);
• 9:40 am – 9:55 am: Speaker: Marelvi Hortencia Bernal Nempeque, Intendente, Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria, Colombia;
• 9:55 am – 10:05 am: Comments and questions from discussants
• 10:05 am – 10:25 am: Q&A
• 10.25 am – 10:30 am: Closing remarks

 
PRESENTERS

Opening remarks
-----------------------

Niraj Verma
Practice Manager, EFNLT, World Bank
nverma@worldbank.org
 

Moderator
-------------

Juliette Hensgens
Project Manager, Rabo Partnerships
juliette.hensgens@rabobank.nl

Juliëtte is a Project Manager at Rabo Partnerships Advisory Services (RPAS), a dedicated consultancy unit within the Rabobank Group, focusing on capacity building of (rural) banks, Agri finance development, supply chain financing, and cooperative development. She is leading multiyear support programs and transformation programs in various African countries and has working experience in Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Juliëtte holds a master's degree in law and Economics from the University of Utrecht and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and is an experienced banker with a background in credit risk and special asset management
 

Speakers
-------------

Michael von During
Technical Specialist, The Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), IFAD
m.vonduring@ifad.org

Michael von During is the Technical Specialist for the Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), which is housed at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy. Prior to joining SAFIN, Michael developed a career at the intersection of impact investing and agriculture. He began in the field of microfinance investment with Symbiotics, where managed the portfolio for Central America. He then joined AlphaMundi to launch their operations in financing sustainable agriculture around the world. This was followed by a stint at Cargill to work on the design of credit assessment solutions for the company’s global commodities trading operations, before returning to social investment to work on structuring blended finance solutions for Water.org’s firt WaterCredit fund, followed by the design of IFAD’s Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund. 

Michael has lived and worked across 5 continents and holds a BA in Business Management from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, as well as a Masters in International Relations from the University of Chicago in the USA. 

Norbert Tuyishime
Project Manager, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)
norbert.tuyishime@gmail.com

Mr Norbert Tuyishime, has a Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics from University of Nairobi & Pretoria (with specialization in International Trade and Agricultural Policy). He joined Eastern Africa Farmers Federation in 2013 as Program officer in charge of Agriculture Trade.
 
With plus 10 years' experience in international agricultural development in Eastern Africa with a focus on enrolling capacity building programs to strengthen the role of farmers along value chains, building strategic partnerships with private sector to offer market-based solutions, participating in agriculture policy processes at various levels and collaborating with agriculture research organizations, international NGOs and donors to support agriculture transformation in Africa.
 
He is the current project manager of various regional projects funded by OACPS, EU, IFAD, FAO, BMG, AGRA, USAID, We Effect, AGRICORD among other partners- geared towards uplifting smallholder farmers by access to economic and support services in East Africa. Prior to that, he worked for Starbucks Farmer Support Centre in Rwanda as a Business Advisor working with coffee farmer cooperatives in Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.  He has also worked in the Ministry in charge of East Africa Community Affairs in Rwanda as a Statistician. He sits on a number of regional and international agricultural development committees.

Marelvi Hortencia Bernal Nempeque
Intendente, Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria, Colombia
mbernal@supersolidaria.gov.co

Economista de la Universidad Externado de Colombia, Especialista en Finanzas y Especialista en Gestión de Riesgos Financieros. Se ha desempeñado como Analista de presupuesto y Cartera del Banco Cafetero y en la Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria ha ejercido como Supervisora de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito, Coordinadora de Supervisión, e Intendente de la  Delegatura Financiera, cargo que ocupa en la actualidad.

Discussants
-----------------

Albert Boogaard
Head Smallholder Solutions, Rabo Partnerships
Albert.Boogaard@rabobank.nl

Albert graduated as an agricultural economist from Wageningen University (WUR) and has over 20 years of experience in agricultural finance working in different departments in Rabobank.  He has been active throughout the value chain with global F&A players as well as (smallholder) farmers and cooperatives globally. Albert has gained a broad experience on digital solutions for smallholder farmers as Innovation Lead in Rabo Foundation focusing on digital innovations to improve outreach and services to farmers and their organizations.
  
Albert has joined Rabo Partnerships as Head Smallholder Solutions in 2021 to oversee the wide range of smallholder focused initiatives in Rabobank.  Key elements are the digitisation of supply chains, geodata and the tools needed to transform these into new financial products and services. 
 
Antonella Cianciotta
Programme Manager & Technical Specialist for FO4ACP initiative, IFAD
a.cianciotta@ifad.org

With an academic background in Development Economics, Antonella Cianciotta is a Technical Specialist with 10 years’ experience operating in the IFAD Rural Institutions team located in the Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division. In particular, she is responsible for the Global Programme Farmers' Organisations in Afric, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP). 

Vinay Kumar Vutukuru
Senior Agriculture Economist, World Bank
vvutukuru@worldbank.org

Vinay Kumar Vutukuru is a Senior Agriculture Economist at the World Bank, Kenya based out of Nairobi. He currently anchors the Agriculture Portfolio for the World Bank in Kenya. He has previously worked in the South Asia region on Agriculture and Rural Development initiatives at the World Bank for over 10 years. He was also on a development assignment with the India Country Management Unit working closely with the Country Director and the Operations Manager on strategic management of the bank portfolio in India including enabling linkages across different sectors and themes. Before joining the bank, he worked in the areas of agriculture, rural development, demand side governance and rural safety nets with the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. 

He has a graduate degree in Public Administration in International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

We look forward to your participation and we encourage you to share this information with colleagues and others who might be interested. 

Center of Excellence on CFIs

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Thursday 1 June 2023
Time: 9:00-10:30 EDT (UTC-4)
Interpretation services: in English and Spanish
Location: Online webinar via Webex

REGISTRATION

To join the conversation, please register at:
https://worldbankgroup.webex.com/weblink/register/r63dce36af0ac79ff3f1e4fa993258f81

OVERVIEW

Agriculture cooperatives are an integral part of agriculture value chains. They enable their member farmers to reduce operational costs, increase productivity, and enhance profitability by collectively procuring high-quality inputs and selling agricultural produce to the markets. In addition, many cooperatives provide financial services to their members. These services are neither well-recorded nor properly regulated in many countries, but agriculture cooperatives are prominent providers of financial services (prominently credit, but in many cases also of deposit, insurance, and payment services) for many farmers who are often excluded from formal financial services. 

This webinar will explore how to enhance access to finance for smallholder farmers by supporting agriculture cooperatives and provide a space to discuss if and how to integrate them into the financial sector regulation, supervision, and financial safety net.

AGENDA

• 9:00 am – 9:10 am: Opening remarks
• 9:10 am – 9:25 am: Speaker: Michael von During, Technical Specialist, The Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), IFAD;
• 9:25 am – 9:40 am: Speaker: Norbert Tuyishime, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF);
• 9:40 am – 9:55 am: Speaker: Marelvi Hortencia Bernal Nempeque, Intendente, Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria, Colombia;
• 9:55 am – 10:05 am: Comments and questions from discussants
• 10:05 am – 10:25 am: Q&A
• 10.25 am – 10:30 am: Closing remarks

 
PRESENTERS

Opening remarks
-----------------------

Niraj Verma
Practice Manager, EFNLT, World Bank
nverma@worldbank.org
 

Moderator
-------------

Juliette Hensgens
Project Manager, Rabo Partnerships
juliette.hensgens@rabobank.nl

Juliëtte is a Project Manager at Rabo Partnerships Advisory Services (RPAS), a dedicated consultancy unit within the Rabobank Group, focusing on capacity building of (rural) banks, Agri finance development, supply chain financing, and cooperative development. She is leading multiyear support programs and transformation programs in various African countries and has working experience in Africa, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Juliëtte holds a master's degree in law and Economics from the University of Utrecht and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and is an experienced banker with a background in credit risk and special asset management
 

Speakers
-------------

Michael von During
Technical Specialist, The Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), IFAD
m.vonduring@ifad.org

Michael von During is the Technical Specialist for the Smallholder and Agri-SME Finance and Investment Network (SAFIN), which is housed at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Rome, Italy. Prior to joining SAFIN, Michael developed a career at the intersection of impact investing and agriculture. He began in the field of microfinance investment with Symbiotics, where managed the portfolio for Central America. He then joined AlphaMundi to launch their operations in financing sustainable agriculture around the world. This was followed by a stint at Cargill to work on the design of credit assessment solutions for the company’s global commodities trading operations, before returning to social investment to work on structuring blended finance solutions for Water.org’s firt WaterCredit fund, followed by the design of IFAD’s Agri-Business Capital (ABC) Fund. 

Michael has lived and worked across 5 continents and holds a BA in Business Management from the University of Geneva, Switzerland, as well as a Masters in International Relations from the University of Chicago in the USA. 

Norbert Tuyishime
Project Manager, Eastern Africa Farmers Federation (EAFF)
norbert.tuyishime@gmail.com

Mr Norbert Tuyishime, has a Master of Science in Agricultural and Applied Economics from University of Nairobi & Pretoria (with specialization in International Trade and Agricultural Policy). He joined Eastern Africa Farmers Federation in 2013 as Program officer in charge of Agriculture Trade.
 
With plus 10 years' experience in international agricultural development in Eastern Africa with a focus on enrolling capacity building programs to strengthen the role of farmers along value chains, building strategic partnerships with private sector to offer market-based solutions, participating in agriculture policy processes at various levels and collaborating with agriculture research organizations, international NGOs and donors to support agriculture transformation in Africa.
 
He is the current project manager of various regional projects funded by OACPS, EU, IFAD, FAO, BMG, AGRA, USAID, We Effect, AGRICORD among other partners- geared towards uplifting smallholder farmers by access to economic and support services in East Africa. Prior to that, he worked for Starbucks Farmer Support Centre in Rwanda as a Business Advisor working with coffee farmer cooperatives in Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia.  He has also worked in the Ministry in charge of East Africa Community Affairs in Rwanda as a Statistician. He sits on a number of regional and international agricultural development committees.

Marelvi Hortencia Bernal Nempeque
Intendente, Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria, Colombia
mbernal@supersolidaria.gov.co

Economista de la Universidad Externado de Colombia, Especialista en Finanzas y Especialista en Gestión de Riesgos Financieros. Se ha desempeñado como Analista de presupuesto y Cartera del Banco Cafetero y en la Superintendencia de la Economía Solidaria ha ejercido como Supervisora de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito, Coordinadora de Supervisión, e Intendente de la  Delegatura Financiera, cargo que ocupa en la actualidad.

Discussants
-----------------

Albert Boogaard
Head Smallholder Solutions, Rabo Partnerships
Albert.Boogaard@rabobank.nl

Albert graduated as an agricultural economist from Wageningen University (WUR) and has over 20 years of experience in agricultural finance working in different departments in Rabobank.  He has been active throughout the value chain with global F&A players as well as (smallholder) farmers and cooperatives globally. Albert has gained a broad experience on digital solutions for smallholder farmers as Innovation Lead in Rabo Foundation focusing on digital innovations to improve outreach and services to farmers and their organizations.
  
Albert has joined Rabo Partnerships as Head Smallholder Solutions in 2021 to oversee the wide range of smallholder focused initiatives in Rabobank.  Key elements are the digitisation of supply chains, geodata and the tools needed to transform these into new financial products and services. 
 
Antonella Cianciotta
Programme Manager & Technical Specialist for FO4ACP initiative, IFAD
a.cianciotta@ifad.org

With an academic background in Development Economics, Antonella Cianciotta is a Technical Specialist with 10 years’ experience operating in the IFAD Rural Institutions team located in the Sustainable Production, Markets and Institutions Division. In particular, she is responsible for the Global Programme Farmers' Organisations in Afric, Caribbean and Pacific (FO4ACP). 

Vinay Kumar Vutukuru
Senior Agriculture Economist, World Bank
vvutukuru@worldbank.org

Vinay Kumar Vutukuru is a Senior Agriculture Economist at the World Bank, Kenya based out of Nairobi. He currently anchors the Agriculture Portfolio for the World Bank in Kenya. He has previously worked in the South Asia region on Agriculture and Rural Development initiatives at the World Bank for over 10 years. He was also on a development assignment with the India Country Management Unit working closely with the Country Director and the Operations Manager on strategic management of the bank portfolio in India including enabling linkages across different sectors and themes. Before joining the bank, he worked in the areas of agriculture, rural development, demand side governance and rural safety nets with the Aga Khan Rural Support Program (AKRSP) and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. 

He has a graduate degree in Public Administration in International Development at the Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University and is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

We look forward to your participation and we encourage you to share this information with colleagues and others who might be interested. 

Center of Excellence on CFIs