Since 2021, through the IFAD Inclusive Rural Finance Policy notes, IFAD works to improve its “use of subsidies to foster long-term sustainable outcomes of Inclusive Rural Finance activities and attract investment capital”.
To do so, IFAD has been employing a mix of interventions, often several types in a given programme, including matching grant, technical assistance (e.g., production, financial literacy, and market access), value chain development, public and private infrastructure development, and other interventions to develop sustainable smallholder access to finance.
In collaboration with FARM-D (hosted by PARM), the Inclusive Rural Finance (IRF) Network is organizing a webinar with leading experts which will provide an open forum for discussing how subsidies can be used to catalyse inclusive rural finance markets that lead to sustainable market development and access to affordable and useable finance for smallholders.
Watch the replay:
Marc de Sousa-Shields is Lead Regional Technical Specialist, Rural Finance and Markets, Near East, North Africa, Europe and Central Asia and is based in Cairo, Egypt. Prior to this Marc lead ES Global Consulting, Mexico, where he was Managing Partner. Prior to this, Marc was Executive Director of the Social Investment Organization of Canada (now Responsible Investment Association of Canada). Mr. de Sousa-Shields possesses a MA in Regional Economic Geography from the University of Toronto, in Toronto, Canada.
Jonathan is the Lead Regional Technical Specialist in Rural Finance, Markets and Enterprises in the Sustaianble Production, Markets and Institutions Division of the Strategy and Knowledge Department in the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) where he has been for the past 8 years. Jonathan is currently based in Abidjan and covering the 24 countries in the West and Central Africa region. He provides up-to-date technical advice to improve the capacity of IFAD and its partners to design, implement, monitor and evaluate policies, strategies, projects and programmes that promote access to sustainable inclusive financial services for pro-poor agricultural value chains and agricultural risk management. Jonathan has a cumulative work experience of over 33 years working in positions of responsibility in IFAD, the World Bank, Unilever Plantations and the Ministry of Agriculture of his home country. Jonathan holds a “Doctor of Management” degree in develeopment management and finance from the University Maryland University College, USA.