Certified Expert in Agricultural Finance
Frankfurt, Germany
DURATION
6 Months
LANGUAGES
English, French
PACE
Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
31 Mar 2025
EARLIEST START DATE
31 Aug 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 900 *
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning
* discounts are available
Key Summary
Introduction
Farming is everyone's business! The below facts try to prove this bold statement:
Firstly, the world population will reach 10 billion by the year 2050, and global food demand will increase by some 50 percent until then. Yet, 30 percent of global food production is lost and wasted.
Secondly, the food sector is responsible for 26 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions which cause climate change. Moreover, up to 2,000 species of wild animals and plants are estimated to become extinct each year, and modern agriculture is the main driver of this biodiversity loss. On top of that, we lose almost 1 percent of global farmland every year due to environmental degradation.
Thirdly, there are an estimated 570 million farms worldwide, 84 percent of them are smallholdings with less than 2 hectares of land. These farms operate only 12 percent of all agricultural land on our planet, but still produce roughly one-third of the world's food.
These factual highlights are the foundation of our new e-learning program “Certified Expert in Sustainable Agricultural Finance” (CESAF). The self-paced online course focuses on the central question how financial institutions can help farmers – especially poor smallholders - to shift to sustainable agricultural practices that lead to secured livelihoods, better working conditions on farms, and enhanced resilience to climate change.
Ideal Students
The CESAF online course primarily addresses agricultural finance practitioners in emerging markets, especially mid-level managers and field staff of agricultural development banks, rural microfinance institutions, insurance and leasing companies, and other financial institutions intending to engage in agricultural finance. The course will also be useful for people who are engaged in agricultural policymaking or regulation and supervision of the agricultural finance sector, as well as for those who are interested to become consultants and advisors in the field of Sustainable Agricultural Finance.
Admissions
Curriculum
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:
- Unit 1 introduces the concepts and practices of Farming Systems and Sustainable Agriculture.
- Unit 2 presents the most widely used Business Models in Sustainable Agricultural Finance.
- Unit 3 provides in-depth knowledge about one of the most promising business models for sustainable smallholder finance: Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain Finance.
- Unit 4 looks at major aspects of Credit Risk Management in Sustainable Agricultural Finance, including individual credit risk and portfolio risk.
- Unit 5 covers all relevant aspects of Credit Cycle Management in Sustainable Agricultural Finance – ranging from product development to loan appraisal and repayment monitoring.
- The voluntary electives address three topics: Digital Solutions for Sustainable Agricultural Finance; Sustainable Agricultural Insurance; Gender and Sustainable Agricultural Finance
This course is based on Frankfurt School’s extensive experience in practical project work and professional education programs, and it is tailored to the needs of our target audience.
Unit 1: Farming Systems & Sustainable Agriculture
Unit 2: Business Models in Sustainable Agriculture Finance (SAF)
Unit 3: Sustainable Agricultural Value Chain Finance
Unit 4: Credit Risk Management in SAF
Unit 5: Credit Cycle Management in SAF
Unit 6: Wrap-Up and Outlook
Unit 7: Electives