• Agricultural Value Chain Finance Seminar

• Date
  February 22 to 24, 2010
• Headquarters
  Hotel InterContinental
  San José, Costa Rica
• Investment
  US $200

Agricultural Value Chain Finance
Costa Rica, February 22-24, 2010

In May 2006, Costa Rica was the site of Latin America's First International Seminar on Agricultural Value Chain Financing. It was a joint effort by FAO, RUTA, Academia de Centroamérica, Serfirural and IFAD. The seminar was addressed by 34 speakers, high-level representatives of a select group of major agricultural-sector companies, financial entities, international organizations and researchers.

More than three years have elapsed, and major changes have taken place in the international environment and in the generation or adaptation of innovative financial services for agricultural value chains. Today, numerous international organizations can point to an impressive array of new programs to support the creation and strengthening of agricultural value chains and the provision of financial services.

Now is a good time to learn about these advances–and spread the word–and to trigger an enriching discussion that will highlight remaining gaps and challenges. Accordingly, a second international seminar is being organized to take place in Costa Rica in the second half of February, 2010.

The target audience will be representatives of financial entities active in the agricultural sector, non-financial companies with a stake in the sector (producers, cooperatives, processors, exporters, marketers, input suppliers), Government authorities, business chambers, non-governmental organizations, international organizations and academics.

The event will attract a variety of speakers: 41 representing over 20 countries from Latin America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Speakers and participants will examine during two days best practices in the use of agricultural value chains as mechanisms to deliver financial services to non-financial actors in the chains. The experience of micro and small actors will be analyzed, individual and associated, as well as that of medium and large firms. It will also cover the perspective of banks, private and state-owned, local and international, as well as the point of view of credit unions, private finance companies and microfinance institutions. Financial services in a broad sense will be studied, from credit to risk management. The third day will allow to visit leading actors in agricultural value chains in Costa Rica.