Leveraging Financial Services for Agriculture-Led Food Security

Welcome to the event page for the June 29 – July 1 Speakers Corner online forum on Food Security. To participate, register on the site (using the link on right) and return to this page to join the group. Contact speakerscorner@microlinks.org with any questions.

Join us for a three-day, online discussion on the role of financial services at various levels to make agriculture-led food security a reality. This Speakers Corner will focus on models and approaches needed to achieve agriculture-led development for improved food security. What challenges are there and what are the innovations and solutions for overcoming them?  What can be learned for scale? How can we deepen financial services for the rural poor? Share your perspective on the role of financial services across the agricultural dimensions of the recently released Feed the Future Guide and help foster ideas and discussion for moving forward.

AGENDA

Day 1:  The first day will look broadly at agriculture led economic growth for food security, and discuss the role of financial services. Where are financial services needed at various points in agricultural development? Why can financial service programs do for agriculture led food security? Where are there constraints and what are the opportunities for overcoming them? At what scale?  What are the roles for financial services in helping to achieve the agricultural objectives and impacts of Feed the Future?
Beverly McIntyre, and Meaghan Murphy Co-Facilitators.

Day 2:  The second day will examine how we can deepen financial services for the poor to extend the reach of agriculture led development and food security. How and in what ways are financial services reaching the poor already? What are additional services needed? What are the models out there and what could facilitate further success? What financial tools should we look towards? What are the innovations and factors for success?
Terry Isert, Microenterprise Facilitator

Day 3:  The third day seeks to build on discussion from the first two days, exploring where are the opportunities to leverage financial services for agricultural led food security development? What will facilitate success? What is needed to make them happen and bring them to scale? What factors and elements of financial service strengthening should be taken into consideration in designing and implementing agriculture led food security?