“To make agriculture sustainable, the grower has got to be able to make a profit.”
—Sam Farr, American politician

When we sit down to eat a meal, seldom do we think about where the food that makes up our meal comes from or whose hands helped cultivate it. In fact, when most people think about agriculture, a simple idea comes to mind: put seeds in the ground; make sure there is enough water; harvest the crops; repeat next season. The realities of modern agriculture, however, are much more complex. Today’s farmers need to worry not only about the increasingly-complex craft of growing food but also about the business side of the industry, including ensuring enough funds are available to have a successful season and finding ways to guard against risks such as floods, droughts, hail and late frosts.
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Etienne Mottet, the Head of Innovation at BFC, recently presented a Rural Outreach and Innovation Talk where he shared insights into how digital technology is being used to deliver financial services in rural areas. Etienne expanded on some of the key themes of his ROI Talk in a conversation with BFC’s Matthew Marwick. An edited transcript is provided below.
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The SDC funded PAFAI project changed the landscape of agricultural finance and insurance in Georgia. The key to this success lay in forging new partnerships and facilitating long-term cooperation.

Unity creates strength
—Georgian Proverb

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Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime.

Life teaches us that even the best-made plans rarely go according to schedule and, more frequently than not, require us to adapt in order to succeed. This has been a guiding principle at BFC since our inception.
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The following is a repost blog originally published on the website of GIZ’s Microfinance in the MENA Region program.

Financial inclusion is a relatively new concept for the Middle East and it is a high priority for the Government of Jordan. With the rise of new technology, policymakers and the industry may have to re-think the role of traditional and digital ways to access financial services.

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On April 28, 2017, Business and Finance Consulting organized the PAFAI (Promoting Access to Finance and Agri Insurance) project closing event. The representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture, Swiss Cooperation Office (SCO) for the South Caucasus, Georgian insurance companies (Aldagi, GPI Holding, Ardi and IC Group), government institutions, non-governmental organizations and international development organizations attended the event.
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On April 8, the project ‘Promoting Access to Finance and Agricultural Insurance’ (PAFAI), implemented by Business and Finance Consulting and funded by the Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development, held a conference for 30 female farmers promoting specialized banking products from Terabank and financial literacy training sessions.
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