Dear RFILC members,

Autumn is very important period in the agricultural cycle.  The American Heritage Dictionary, states that “harvest” comes from the Old English word hærfest, meaning “Autumn”.  Autumn season refers for gathering agricultural products. We would like to dedicate this November newsletter to the gathering knowledge products.

This month, we have chosen to bring to your attention a “Study on appropriate warehousing and collateral management systems in sub-Saharan Africa” published by CTA, that comes in three volumes: i) key finding; ii) technical country reports and iii) Review of applicable laws. The core subject of this report is how warehouse receipt financing enables the post-harvest part of the value chain to function more efficiently as it is a potentially useful tool for helping farmers access to funding.

Furthermore, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has published a guide to agricultural lending entitled  “Agricultural Lending: A How – To Guide” that explains the trends, opportunities, risks, and mitigation strategies associated with agricultural lending in developing markets. Using a simple five-phase approach, it presents a step-by-step road map for financial institutions interested in introducing agricultural lending products.

Finally, we are pleased to present a new Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) web site providing a single entry point for agricultural investment guidance and resources –  “Investment Learning Platform” (ILP). It is designed for investment practitioners, in particular government, their advisers and partners. It offers concise and practical help to plan, design, implement or evaluate public investment in agriculture and rural development. If you want to explore more about investments and this platform, click here.

With best regards,

The RFILC editorial team