Blog | ADA - Appui au développement autonome

04 November 2026

How agri-SMEs are turning farmer support into sustainable business models

Offering diversified services to smallholder farmers has proven to be both a strategic necessity and a condition for long-term sustainability for SMEs. However, to do so, these companies need to overcome many challenges. This is one of the key conclusions identified by ADA in a series of Smallholder SustaiNability Upscaling Programme (SSNUP) case studies which highlight the important role SMEs can play in supporting smallholder farmers, increasing their income and strengthening their resilience.

29 October 2026

FIT – Financing Innovation Tool is recruiting an Operations & Governance Manager

FIT – Financing Innovation Tool is recruiting an Operations & Governance Manager.

Un homme en costume assis derrière un bureau

26 October 2026 Interviews

‘There is no trade-off between financial stability and staying close to clients’: an interview with Comlan Ignace Dovi on microfinance sector reform in Benin

The implementation of new microfinance regulations in Benin offers useful lessons for other countries in the region affected by the reform.

14 October 2026

Empowering women through access to sustainable financial services

In Kenya, women perform most poultry-related tasks - cleaning, feeding, treating the birds – but ownership of the livestock and participation in decision-making are limited. To overcome these challenges and improve women’s skills and access to finance, the Kenyan microfinance institution Yehu provided training in poultry breeding and financial literacy in a project developed in collaboration with SSNUP and its partner SIDI.

02 October 2026

Tracing rubber back to the farm in Ivory Coast to secure access to European market

To maintain access to the European market, Ocean - an Ivorian organisation that purchases and exports cocoa and rubber - quickly recognised the importance of tracing these products back to the farm. To help with this process, SSNUP co-financed an Alterfin project for Ocean in 2023.

22 September 2026

Cocoa certification delivers sweet results to smallholder farmers in Uganda

Increased cocoa sales and prices, higher household income for smallholder farmers, improved cocoa quality, and reduced child labour on cocoa farms. These were the results of a project co-funded by SSNUP and developed by Alterfin for ATW (African Trade Winds, a subsidiary of Edelsource) in Uganda.

18 September 2026

FIT confirmed its catalytic role in 2025

Against the backdrop of a growing financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), FIT, the Financing Innovation Tool, demonstrated the continued relevance of its model in 2025.

11 August 2026 Interviews

Managing Currency Risk in Agricultural Finance : Interview with Toph Cottle

Toph Cottle works as a Senior FX Hedging Strategist at MFX Solutions.

Les semis croissent avec une flèche de croissance économique. Les jeunes plantes en pile de pièces augmentent. Croissance de l'argent, de la finance et de l'investissement. Concept de croissance des entreprises, de profit, de développement et de réussite.

28 July 2026 News

Benin: Driving the green transition through inclusive finance

With the support of ADA and LuxDev, Benin's National Microfinance Fund (FNM) recently launched a Green Credit refinancing facility for microfinance institutions (MFIs).

20 July 2026

A coffee producer attracts a new buyer thanks to upgraded certification

Tropic, a Rwandan coffee producer, aggregator and exporter, had to upgrade the certification of its farmers and cooperative network to the new Rainforest Alliance (RFA) standards. The challenge was to do it quickly and cost-effectively to keep the business stable. The solution to the challenge came through a project co-funded by SSNUP in support of Alterfin.