Overview
Council on Smallholder Agricultural Finance (CSAF) was established in 2012 as a global alliance of financial institutions focused on agricultural small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It was created as a forum for lenders to share knowledge and improve financing practices. CSAF’s mission is to foster an inclusive and sustainable financial market supporting smallholder farmers and agricultural value chains.
Mission and focus areas
CSAF aims to promote responsible lending, develop industry standards, and expand access to finance for agricultural SMEs in developing markets. Its work focuses on market growth, environmental and social impact, and strengthening financial ecosystems that benefit smallholder farmers.
The organisation integrates ESG principles into lending practices, encouraging members to support environmentally sustainable agriculture and improve livelihoods. It also contributes to sustainable finance by aligning capital flows with measurable social and environmental outcomes across agricultural value chains.
Structure and governance
CSAF operates as a member-based alliance comprising impact-focused lenders and affiliated institutions. It is guided by a Global Steering Committee and supported by regional chapters in areas such as East Africa and Latin America.
A central team manages coordination, data analysis, and learning activities, while members collaborate on a pre-competitive basis to share insights and develop common standards. This structure enables both global coordination and regional engagement.
Programs and offerings
CSAF produces research and data-driven resources to support decision-making in agricultural finance. Key outputs include its annual “State of the Sector” reports, which analyse lending trends, risks, and market developments.
The organisation also maintains an Open Data Portal providing aggregated lending data and insights into agricultural SME finance. Additional initiatives include ESG lending principles, case studies, and market-building programmes such as Aceli Africa, which incentivises lending to underserved agricultural businesses.
Our vision & mission
CSAF envisions a thriving finance market that serves agricultural businesses and supports their positive impact on smallholder farmers and environmentally sustainable practices globally.
CSAF’s mission is to share learning, promote industry standards and best practices, and engage other stakeholders in building a more inclusive and impactful finance market for agricultural businesses.
