NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Antwerp, 18 December 2013 – Incofin Investment Management (IM) is seeking to raise around USD 200 million for its new agRIF fund which will focus on the unmet global demand for financial services that target smallholder farmers. “The objective of agRIF is to invest into sustainable, commercially viable institutions which are providing financial services to smallholder farmers”, says Loïc De Cannière, Managing Director of Incofin IM.

With more than 2 billion of the world’s poorest living in households that depend on agriculture, it is agRIF’s objective to increase the outreach and range of financial services available to smallholder farmers. Studies show that there are between 450-600 million smallholder farmers worldwide who are becoming increasingly important in the agriculture value chain.

Welcoming investors in the new fund, Loïc De Cannière, Managing Director Incofin IM, says: “Capitalizing on the success and the lessons learnt of Rural Impulse Fund I (RIF I) and Rural Impulse Fund II (RIF II), Incofin IM has decided to launch a new fund that will focus on agricultural finance. The objective of agRIF is to invest in sustainable, commercially viable institutions which are

providing financial services to smallholder farmers.”