Agriculture matters a lot for everyone on this planet: it provides affordable and healthy food, jobs and incomes for millions of people; its development is essential for environmental protection, poverty alleviation and in the context of climate change.
Therefore, agriculture finance is a significant part of the finance sector. Farmers and agro-enterprises need loans, insurance, leasing and many other financial services to do well. Financial institutions seek qualified employees who understand the financial needs of farmers and agribusinesses, the dynamics of the agricultural sector and the role of finance in agricultural value chains.
The “Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance” online course covers a wide range of agriculture finance topics. Participants will gain a broad perspective on the concept of agricultural finance and acquire the necessary skills to design feasible operations, products and delivery channels. One focus of the course will be on lending to farmers and agribusinesses, in particular how to manage risks and costs along the entire loan cycle.
This course is based on Frankfurt School’s extensive experience in practical project work and theoretical education programs, and it is tailored to the needs of our target audience.
What Do We Offer?
Tuition Fees*
| Registration Date | Fee |
| Before Jan 15, 2023 | EUR 700* |
| After Jan 15, 2023 | EUR 900* |
Elective units:
Add 3 units to your course for EUR 200.
Final exam fee: An additional final exam fee will be charged for the second and third final exam attempt.
Discounts:
Payment in instalments is not possible.
*Subject to change
Target Audience
The CEAF online course primarily addresses agriculture finance practitioners, such as mid-level managers and field staff of agriculture development banks, rural microfinance institutions, ag-insurance firms, leasing companies, and other financial institutions in developing countries, emerging economies and developed nations. The course will also be useful for those who are interested to become agriculture finance experts, consultants and advisors. Last but not least, persons who are engaged in agriculture policymaking, or regulation and supervision of the agriculture finance sector will benefit too.
Workload
The course takes approx. 6 months assuming 3-4 hours of self-study per week. It consists of 7 mandatory units, which build upon each other.
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 |
All our courses contribute to the following SDGs
This course will enhance your knowledge in the following SDGs. The SWA offers professional and executive courses dedicated to the advancement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The course starts with an overview of the agricultural sector and agricultural finance systems. We will explore why agriculture matters, how different farming systems have evolved, and which farming practices are typical in crop and livestock production. Then, we will investigate the stakeholders in agriculture finance, products and services offered by agriculture finance institutions, specific delivery channels, and different approaches to manage costs and risks.
From here we will dig deeper into the world of agricultural lending: risk management, credit management, marketing and sales.
Finally, you will familiarize yourself with various recent innovations in the field of agricultural finance, spanning from the insurance industry to capital markets.
At the end of the course you have the voluntary choice of up to 3 electives.
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 a course schedule including voluntary and mandatory deadlines. The course schedule serves as guideline for your personal learning schedule and will help you completing 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 to solve the assignment.
Networking Opportunities: Use the forum to introduce yourself your peers and start interesting discussions.
Course Objectives
On successful completion of this course, participants will have a thorough comprehension of principal concepts and good practices in agricultural finance, i.e. they have learned to:
Unit 1: Why agriculture matters
In this unit you will learn about the history of agriculture, the importance of global food security, food prices and food quality, and the economic and environmental aspects of agriculture.
Unit 3: The agriculture finance system
This unit provides an overview of agricultural finance systems, the recent history of agriculture finance, typical stakeholders and client segments, suitable products, services and delivery channels, and major risk and cost management approaches of agriculture finance institutions.
After completing Unit 3 you will have to do a small online knowledge test.
Unit 5: Credit management
This unit will teach you how to manage the agriculture credit cycle: application, appraisal, decision, disbursement, monitoring, and loan delinquency handling.
After completing Unit 5 you will have to work on a group assignment that deals with risk and credit management in an agriculture finance institution.
Unit 7: Innovations in agricultural finance
This unit provides an overview of recent innovations in agricultural finance, focusing on services and distribution channels that better manage risks, reduce operational costs and increase client outreach – for example, digital financial services, value chain finance, leasing, index insurance, and various capital market instruments.
Unit 2: Basic knowledge of agriculture
This unit covers everything you should know about climate, soils, plants, markets and policies, farming systems, crop production and animal husbandry. This knowledge will help you to design better financial products for farmers and to assess credit risks.
Unit 4: Risk Management
Risk management is essential for profitable agriculture credit operations. In this unit you will learn how to identify, measure and mitigate risks in agriculture lending.
Unit 6: Marketing and sales
This unit shows participants how to design agriculture credit products and delivery channels, as well as marketing and sales techniques for agriculture loans.
Sample Material
Do you want to get more out of the course? The course provides you with the possibility to choose up to three electives to deepen your knowledge in the field of your interest. For each elective, you can earn one (1) additional ECTS (credit point), thus adding more value to your course and certificate.
Weather-Index-Based Insurance (WIBI)
Gain a deeper insight into the fascinating world of index insurance. We will look at different cases to better understand how an index insurance system is designed.
Value-Chain-Finance (VCF)
This elective unit we will fathom the topic of Value Chain Finance. You will learn how to analyse agricultural value chains and how to design suitable financial products and delivery solutions for farmers and agro-enterprises in value chains.
Digital Financial Services (DFS)
Explore the world of Digital Financial Services in the agriculture sector. We will look at several cases that show how digital financial services can help farmers.
*Subject to change
The flexibility of our courses offers you the opportunity to follow your own schedule and to combine daily work with professional development.
The high quality offered will immediately improve your daily job performance as well as the performance of your institution.
Training Material
Video Lectures
Online Tests
Each unit ends with an online test comprising a set of 10 - 15 multiple choice questions. Only after having successfully completed an online test you will gain access to the next unit.
Reading Material
A PDF script is for most of our courses the main studying material. This reading material provides basic concepts and principles applicable to the subject of each unit.
Assignments
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.
Discussion Forum
A course discussion forum enables the interaction between participants and trainers and facilitates the exchange of experiences as well as possibilities to ask questions or get clarifications.
Final Exam
Passing a final examination is a requirement for obtaining your certificate.
If you do not wish to take the final exam, you will receive a confirmation of course participation after completing the course.
Helmut Grossmann
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. Helmut is still the main lecturer for both courses and he continues to support the e-Campus, further developing its training approach.
Master of Leadership in Sustainable Finance
The Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance is an Elective Module of the Master of Leadership in Sustainable Finance. Join our Master programme after completing the CEAF course and waive one elective module. Also, the amount you paid for the course will be deducted from the final tuition fee of the Master programme.
Frankfurt School Summer Academy
Expand your skills and knowledge in agricultural finance with the Frankfurt School Summer Academy. This one-week, on-campus programme allows participants to choose from a selection of specialised technical tracks.
Read more about our Agricultural Finance & Climate Risk track here.
Diploma in Financial Inclusion
The Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance is part of the curriculum of our Diploma in Financial Inclusion. Enroll to our Diploma after completing the CEAF course and waive one module. Also, the amount you paid for the course will be deducted from the final tuition fee of the Diploma.
Diploma in Green Finance
The Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance is part of the curriculum of our Diploma in Green Finance. Enroll to our Diploma after completing the CEAF course and waive one module. Also, the amount you paid for the course will be deducted from the final tuition fee of the Diploma.
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