Today, over 80% of Africa's farms are smallholder-owned—and these farms operate at only 20-30% of their potential yields. The current market assessment reveals a staggering $200 billion annual financing gap, presenting both a challenge and a substantial market opportunity. To close this gap, the AgFinance program builds on Opportunity International's 50+-year history of innovation and financial services for those living in poverty.
With the right financial support and access to tools and training, rural communities can thrive, hunger can decrease, food security can improve, education can get better, and families can sustain themselves. We're here to drive this change, focusing on boosting rural prosperity by filling in crucial gaps in resources, training, and support.
Opportunity staff member meets with Bertha, a farmer in Malawi
Investing in agriculture is key to ending extreme poverty. The AgFinance model offers practical solutions to help farmers improve their farms now - and sets up future market-driven services to break the poverty cycle for good.
We strive to help farmers:
- Increase their incomes: With higher-yielding crops, farmers are earning more and re-investing in farm improvements like adding irrigation.
- Diversify their incomes: Farmers also invest income in additional sources of revenue, such as goats, cows, and chickens, or start a small side business, improving their long-term financial resiliency.
- Improve their living conditions: With surplus income, farmers will purchase new metal roofs, water purifiers, food, and healthcare.
- Send their children to school: Improvements in farm productivity and income mean more children can go to school instead of staying home to help on the farm.
Our Origins
In 2008, Opportunity International made a strategic decision to expand its microfinance services into rural and sub-Saharan Africa. In these areas, the key to financial stability, flourishing households, and rural prosperity is agriculture.
To meet the unique needs we identified, we launched our Agricultural Finance program.
With 60% of sub-Saharan African families making their living from smallholder farming, and 23% of the total GDP of these countries coming from agriculture, the need for farmer support could not be more urgent.
Opportunity was founded in 1971 by businessman Al Whittaker and entrepreneur David Bussau, two visionary leaders who recognized the power of offering financial services to those living in poverty around the world
- 2008: AgFin is founded
- 2009: First AgFinance loan disbursed in Malawi
- 2017: Ag-Quality program launched, and Farmer Agents normalized as an outreach channel
- 2018: A cumulative $100 million in funds disbursed
- 2023: Cumulative disbursements of $320 million reached