Rural areas lack the financial services needed to develop and diversify economic activity. CERISE strives to find sustainable solutions to meet the huge demand for rural finance.

Microfinance has the potential to play an important role in creating synergy between actors from the public and private sectors and civil society and ultimately improve access to rural finance. For example, linking producer organizations to MFIs can not only build producers’ capacity to use financial services, but help MFI better understand and satisfy rural demand.
CERISE uses value chain finance and livelihood finance approaches to promote sustainable access to rural finance.

Producer organizations are key actors in rural areas. And yet, they are virtually unknown to most financial institutions. The converse is also true. As a rule, producer organizations and financial institutions ingore each other’s modus operandi, rules, needs and constraints.

In order to bridge this gap, CERISE has developed an Operational Guide to building partnerships between producer organizations and financial institutions. Developed in conjunction with FARM Foundation, the Guide draws on action-research carried out by IRC in Niger. It shows how to analyze the financial needs and constraints of producers and teaches producer organizations how to effectively access and use financial services.

Because alliances between producer organizations and financial institutions are critical to meeting the huge need for agricultural finance, this Guide should help increase farmers’ financial access.

We believe rural development depends on making finance available for all types of rural activities. That’s why CERISE is committed to a value chain approach that emphasizes support to rural entrepreneurs and finance for all segments of the rural market. This approach encourages MFIs to finance the whole rural economy—from production, processsing to commercialization—and build relationships with the private sector to ensure market channels. It’s about strengthening the economic fabric of rural regions.

Fair trade adds value to many agricultural exports by securing stable, decent incomes for farmers. CERISE has joined forces with French fair trade label Max Havelaar to find innovative ways to bring importers, producer organizations and microfinance together, to build sustainable solutions to rural finance and expand fair trade.