Study Journey
The world's population is projected to reach 10 billion by 2050, and the demand for food is expected to increase by 50%. Yet, we face significant challenges, as 19% of global food production is lost or wasted, and the agricultural sector contributes to 26% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Modern agriculture is also a significant driver of biodiversity loss, with up to 2,000 species going extinct yearly. Moreover, nearly 1% of global farmland is lost annually due to environmental degradation.
On the other hand, smallholder farmers are crucial to the global agrifood system, producing about 80% of the food consumed in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. However, they often work on less fertile, marginal lands and typically operate on plots smaller than two hectares. Despite their importance, less than 10% have access to formal credit, limiting their ability to invest in necessary inputs and technologies like irrigation systems, which are crucial for enhancing productivity and resilience to climate change. Smallholder farmers' annual unmet financing needs are estimated at $170 billion, highlighting the significant gap in financial inclusion.
Our self-paced online programme, the Certified Expert in Sustainable Agricultural Finance (CESAF), addresses these critical issues by focusing on how financial institutions can support farmers, especially smallholders, in adopting sustainable agricultural practices. These practices secure livelihoods, improve working conditions, and enhance resilience to climate change. Access to finance is crucial for this transformation, enabling farmers and agribusinesses to obtain loans, insurance, and other financial services necessary for sustainability.
What Do We Offer?
Tuition Fees*
Regular Tuition Fee: EUR 900
Early Bird Fee: EUR 700 (by July 15)
Payment in instalments is not possible.
*Subject to change
Target Audience
The CESAF online course is designed for agricultural finance practitioners in emerging markets, particularly mid-level managers and field staff of agricultural development banks, rural microfinance institutions, insurance and leasing companies, and other financial institutions involved in agricultural finance. It also benefits individuals engaged in agricultural policymaking, regulation, and supervision of the agricultural finance sector and those aspiring to become consultants and advisors in Sustainable Agricultural Finance.
Workload
The course is scheduled for 6 months, assuming an average of 4 hours of self-study per week. It consists of 5 mandatory units, which are built upon each other.
The course is mostly self-paced, but there are a few mandatory deadlines, especially for the home assignment towards the end of the course.
You are not sure if you manage to complete the course within 6 months? No worries! You can apply for a course extension (6 more months) against an administrative fee.
Dates
| Course Start | Course End | Registration | Early Bird |
| 1 Sept. | 28 Feb. | 1 June - 1 Sept | by July 15 |
| 1 Mar. | 31 Aug. | 1 Dec. - 1 Mar. | by Jan. 15 |
Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, participants will have a comprehensive understanding of the key concepts and best practices in agricultural finance. In particular, they will have developed the ability to:
Registration for the September intake will open in June. Get notified by subscribing to our newsletter.
The “Certified Expert in Sustainable Agricultural Finance” covers a wide range of topics, including basic agricultural knowledge and specific financial instruments. Participants will gain a broad perspective on the concept of Sustainable Agricultural Finance and acquire the necessary skills to design feasible operations, products and delivery channels. The program is structured into 5 mandatory units and 3 voluntary electives:
The voluntary electives address three advanced topics:
This course is based on Frankfurt School’s extensive experience in practical project work and professional education programmes, and it is tailored to the needs of our target audience.
*subject to change
Farming Systems & Sustainable Agriculture
This unit sets the foundation for the course by providing basic knowledge about agriculture, which will be especially useful for those course participants that have no agriculture background. This knowledge will be essential for a better understanding of the following units.
In this unit, you will learn about the key characteristics of major farming systems in the world – such as pastoralism, traditional mixed farming, industrialised livestock production – and the typical financial needs of those farming systems. In addition, you will learn about key practices in sustainable agriculture with a focus on smallholder farmers.
Business Models in Sustainable Agriculture Finance (SAF)
This unit provides an overview and critical discussion of different business models used in SAF. We will present different types of financial institutions that engage in agricultural finance and then look at typical financial products, delivery channels, and institutional arrangements used by the providers of SAF.
You will gain a deep understanding of the business model concept and the business purpose from the perspective of financial institutions that already provide or intend to provide SAF. You will further learn about the double and triple bottom line concept in SAF, and gain knowledge of the key characteristics of the main business models currently used in SAF. Finally, you will be encouraged to reflect critically on the advantages and disadvantages of different SAF business models.
Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain Finance
This unit provides a deep insight into a very promising new business model used in agricultural finance: Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain Finance (SAVCF). We will approach this topic from a conceptual and practical perspective. You will learn about the concept of value chain finance and the institutional requirements for successful SAVCF. Further, you will gain a thorough understanding of the characteristics and practices of contract farming in the context of SACVF. In addition, we will present and analyse typical SAVCF operations (examples from the field).
Credit Risk Management in SAF
This unit covers the main issues related to risk management in SAF, with a focus on smallholder lending. You will get a good understanding of the main risks that farmers and SAF providers face. We will focus on individual credit risks and loan portfolio risks. In addition, you will learn about tools used for risk identification and risk measuring in agri-finance institutions. Moreover, we will look at the most important risk management practices used by institutions lending to smallholder farmers.
Credit Cycle Management in SAF
This unit covers the main issues related to conventional credit management in SAF, with a focus on smallholder lending. We will explain the difference between group and individual lending. Next, we will present the elements of the traditional credit cycle and look at ways how they can be managed in group and individual lending. Finally, you will learn about good practices in credit cycle management in SAF, with a focus on smallholder lending.
Wrap-Up and Outlook
This unit wraps up the course by summarizing the key messages of all units. It also presents the main contents of the optional electives:
Electives
Do you want to get more out of the course?
The course provides you with three electives to deepen your knowledge in the field of your interest.
Unit 7a – Digital Solutions for Sustainable Agricultural Finance
Unit 7b – Sustainable Agricultural Insurance
Unit 7c – Gender and Sustainable Agricultural Finance
Our courses are designed flexibly, allowing you to follow your own schedule and seamlessly integrate professional development with your daily work.
The high-quality content will not only enhance your job performance but also boost the overall performance of your institution.
Here are some key features of the programme:
This structure ensures you can achieve your learning goals without compromising your professional responsibilities.
Training Material
Each unit ends with an online test comprising a set of 10 - 15 multiple-choice questions. Only after having successfully completed the online test, you will gain access to the next unit.
A PDF script is the main studying material. This reading material provides basic concepts and principles applicable to the subject of each unit.
The key to successful learning is the immediate use of newly acquired knowledge and the transfer of theory into practice. Our online courses are therefore supplemented by mandatory assignments.
A course discussion forum enables the interaction between participants and trainers and facilitates the exchange of experiences as well as the possibility to ask questions or get clarifications.
Final Exam
To obtain your certificate, you must pass a final examination.
If you choose not to take the final exam, you will receive a confirmation of course participation upon completing the course.
*Subject to change
Suggestions & Recommendations
While you decide on the timing and pace of your learning experience, we would like to give you some recommendations on how to get the most out of this course:
Your schedule: We will provide you with a course schedule including voluntary and mandatory deadlines. The course schedule serves as a guideline for your personal learning schedule and will help you complete the programme within the given time frame.
Assignments: With the assignments, you will learn how to apply the knowledge learned during the course. It is important that you take time to read the necessary material and solve the assignment.
Networking Opportunities: Use the forum to introduce yourself to your peers and start interesting discussions.
Helmut Grossmann has been working for the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management as a Micro and Agricultural Finance Specialist since 2004. He was Acting Head of the School’s International Advisory Services (IAS) from 2004 to 2005 and since then worked in well over 20 countries as trainer and consultant.
Helmut has worked with the Frankfurt School e-Campus since its inception in 2010, setting the foundation for its renowned training approach with the creation of its very first course, Certified Expert in Microfinance. He later also developed Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance.
All our courses contribute to the following SDGs:
Moudachirou Lamidi
Programme Coordinator
