Common Fund for Commodities

🌍 Strengthening partnerships for inclusive and resilient development

On the margins of the Financing for Development Forum in New York, CFC Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Belal met with H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations, to discuss practical solutions for advancing the global development agenda.

The discussion focused on financing for development, the challenges facing commodity-dependent economies, and strengthening resilience in vulnerable communities. Ambassador Belal highlighted CFC's ongoing efforts to support smallholder farmers, agri-SMEs, and commodity value chains, emphasizing the importance of ensuring that development finance reaches the grassroots level where it can have the greatest impact on livelihoods and economic stability.

A key highlight of the meeting was the presentation of CFC's Absolute Sixteens (A16) initiative—an innovative framework designed to identify and prioritize high-impact interventions in sixteen countries that are both Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs), helping accelerate inclusive and sustainable growth. H.E. Mr. Thapa welcomed the initiative and commended CFC for bringing practical, forward-looking solutions to the development discourse.

The exchange also underscored the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing the growing financing gap. In this context, H.E. Mr. Thapa expressed strong support for the concept of a dedicated SME Fund, recognizing that "small and medium-sized enterprises are the engines of any economy. ECOSOC appreciates this forward-looking initiative, which has the potential to unlock opportunities, drive inclusive growth, and strengthen economic resilience, particularly in developing countries".

Ambassador Belal also noted “The exchange was both timely and valuable, and we are grateful for the opportunity to discuss how we can collectively advance a more inclusive and resilient development agenda”.

CFC deeply appreciates ECOSOC's recognition of its work and the assurance of continued support. We look forward to strengthening collaboration to advance practical, inclusive, and sustainable development solutions for commodity-dependent communities worldwide.

Read more here- https://common-fund.org/ecosoc-president-appreciates-workings-cfc-and-assured-continued-support

Transforming agriculture requires both investment and partnership—bringing together finance, knowledge, technical support and long-term commitment🌿

The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), together with The Agricultural Commodity Transformation Fund (ACT Fund), welcomes a €500,000 grant from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN) to strengthen the ACT Fund’s Technical Assistance (TA) Facility, which will be managed by the CFC experienced in-house TA Facility team. 🤝

This support aims to accelerate the shift toward inclusive organic, regenerative, agroecological and climate-resilient agricultural systems—especially in Sub-Saharan Africa—while advancing nature-based solutions that restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity. 🪴

Through a three-year programme, tailored technical assistance will support agri-SMEs and their networks of smallholder farmers—enhancing climate adaptation and mitigation, improving incomes and strengthening resilience across commodity value chains. 🌐

As Eva M. Johansson, Senior Technical Assistance Facility Manager at CFC, notes:
“The Federal Environment Ministry’s support enables the ACT TA Facility to deliver targeted, high-impact support to the agri-SMEs and farmers who form the backbone of agricultural value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The grant comes at a pivotal moment for the ACT Fund, following its first close of USD 40 million in September 2025. As the Fund prepares its first investments, it aims over its 10-year lifecycle to support 275,000 smallholder farmers, strengthen climate-resilient production across more than 250,000 hectares and deploy capital to 70 agricultural SMEs. 👩‍🌾 🧑‍🌾

By combining capital with targeted technical support, the ACT Fund is advancing practical and scalable solutions that strengthen rural livelihoods while promoting sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. 🌿👏

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eYDkZUHg

Access the News item here as well:
DE: https://lnkd.in/e25vVeNn
EN: https://lnkd.in/eszMbmDt

𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴. 📈

At its 81st meeting, the CFC Executive Board approved a new set of projects
designed to strengthen agricultural value chains and support smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America 🌍

From cocoa and coffee to rice, shea, and avocado, these investments target the backbone of local economies—smallholders and agri-SMEs—by improving access to finance and strengthening market systems. 🌿

The strengthening pipeline underscores a broader trend: demand for financing continues to grow, while the availability of accessible, well-structured capital remains limited.

As CFC Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Belal states: “The problem is not a shortage of viable projects—the problem is a shortage of appropriately structured capital where real producers operate.”

Alongside these projects, the Executive Board also reviewed key operational and strategic developments, including a growing project pipeline of 39 projects across 29 countries, with an estimated value of approximately USD 33 million and progress in The Agricultural Commodity Transformation Fund (ACT Fund), which is now entering its investment phase. 🤝

With increasing demand and a robust pipeline of high-quality projects, the CFC remains focused on scaling its impact—mobilizing partnerships, strengthening value chains, and delivering practical solutions where they are needed most. 🌐

Commodity value chains must work not only for markets—but for the people at their origin. 👩‍🌾

🔗 Read more here: https://www.common-fund.org/cfc-executive-board-approves-new-investments-strengthen-global-agri-sme-financing-and-support