Common Fund for Commodities, Rietlandpark 301, Amsterdam (2026)

02/06/2026

At a high-level United Nations discussion on commodity-dependent economies, convened by H.E. Annalena Baerbock, President of the 80th Session of the UN General Assembly, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) highlighted how nature-based solutions, emerging technologies, and innovative financing can unlock new opportunities for smallholders and rural communities worldwide. 🌐

Representing the CFC, Peter Andreas Nielsen, Investment Manager and Lead of the Innovative Finance Lab, emphasized that regenerative agriculture, agroforestry, sustainable forestry, and other nature-based production systems can generate not only agricultural commodities, but also valuable environmental assets such as carbon credits and biodiversity outcomes. 🌿

Advances in satellite monitoring, geospatial technologies, traceability systems, and environmental verification tools are making these new revenue streams increasingly accessible.

Drawing on CFC's practical experience, Peter highlighted:

✅ A large-scale agroforestry and Payments for Ecosystem Services initiative in the Democratic Republic of the Congo supporting approximately 4,000 smallholders through climate-smart production systems and results-based environmental financing.

✅ Ongoing work in Peru helping forest communities develop non-timber forest product enterprises capable of generating carbon credits alongside coffee production.

As the only UN-affiliated international financial institution dedicated exclusively to commodity development, CFC continues to pioneer innovative approaches that create sustainable livelihoods, strengthen resilience, and ensure that smallholders, cooperatives, and SMEs capture greater value from evolving global markets. 🤝

The transition to sustainable commodity systems is not only about addressing climate and biodiversity challenges—it is also about creating new economic opportunities for the communities at the heart of global value chains. 🌱

Read more here – https://common-fund.org/cfc-highlights-nature-based-solutions-and-technological-innovation-new-frontiers-commodity

28/05/2026

is a reminder that Africa’s “informal economy” is not informal at all — it is the backbone of the continent’s growth, resilience, and innovation. 🌍

It employs more than 86% of the workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa. SMEs account for nearly 90% of businesses across the continent, yet face a financing gap exceeding $330 billion.

is also a reminder that Africa’s future is already being built by millions of smallholders, cooperatives, women-led enterprises, agri-SMEs, and rural innovators across the continent. Yet the recent G20 Global Inequality Report warns that the world’s wealth continues to concentrate at the top, while those producing much of the world’s food and commodities remain trapped at the bottom of global value chains. 🌿

For Africa — and especially for the most vulnerable commodity-dependent economies, including the landlocked “Absolute Sixteen” countries — inequality is not abstract. It is experienced through low farmgate prices, limited access to finance, high transport costs, climate shocks, and exclusion from processing and technology. 🌐

At the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), we believe the answer lies in humanizing the value chains — ensuring that trade, investment, and value addition work for the people sustaining the global economy.

That is why CFC continues investing in:
🌱 Regenerative agriculture and climate resilience
☕ Sustainable coffee and cocoa value chains
💡 Local processing and value addition
🤝 Inclusive finance for smallholders and SMEs
🌍 Agroforestry, rural enterprises, and cooperative-led development

Africa does not lack potential. The real question is whether global finance and global policy are moving fast enough to support the entrepreneurs, farmers, and communities already building the continent’s future. 🌱

Investing in Africa means investing in resilience, dignity, and shared prosperity.

For CFC, investing in Africa means investing in resilience, regeneration, and the entrepreneurs already building the continent’s future — one community, cooperative, and SME at a time. 🌿

19/05/2026

🌍 “Trade and finance must serve people — not just markets.”

Speaking as a panellist at the Financing for Development (FFD) Forum at United Nations Headquarters in New York, CFC Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Belal called for a more human-centered approach to trade and catalytic finance that empowers smallholders, SMEs, and commodity-producing countries. 🌐

In his remarks, Ambassador Belal emphasized that global prosperity cannot be built on systems where producers remain trapped at the lowest end of value chains. 🌿

“We need patient, local-currency financing for mid-stream processing,” he stated. “Humanizing value chains means ensuring that producing countries capture more value — not just more volume.”

Highlighting both agricultural and critical mineral value chains, he underscored the urgent need for:
🔹 Regenerative and inclusive financing
🔹 Stronger trade finance mechanisms for SMEs
🔹 Local value addition in producing countries
🔹 Fairer opportunities and greater resilience for small producers
🔹 Practical financing tools that reduce risk and unlock opportunity

Ambassador Belal pointed to proven instruments such as warehouse receipt financing, supply chain guarantees, pre-export finance, and patient local-currency investments as essential tools to close the trade finance gap affecting agricultural SMEs and commodity-dependent economies.

Drawing attention to the global energy transition, he warned that many developing countries rich in critical minerals still remain confined to low-value extraction, missing opportunities for industrialization and sustainable growth.

The intervention also highlighted the story of small producers like “Beatrice,” representing millions of farmers and entrepreneurs who can only participate fairly in global trade when finance reaches them in time — enabling them to store, process, and sell under fair conditions.

“The choice is clear,” Ambassador Belal concluded. “We can continue a system where risk is concentrated among the many and opportunity among the few — or build one where global prosperity is anchored in local resilience. We choose the latter.” 🌿

The Common Fund for Commodities remains committed to advancing catalytic, inclusive, and human-centered development finance that makes commodities work for everyone🤝

🔗 Read more: https://common-fund.org/cfc-calls-human-centered-trade-and-catalytic-finance-un-financing-development-forum

05/05/2026

🌱 Want to access CFC finance and become a champion of grassroots impact?

If you are an SME, cooperative, social enterprise, NGO, or public/private entity working in commodity value chains across developing countries, the 29th Call for Proposals of the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) is your opportunity to turn ambition into action. 🌐

Join our upcoming 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫 to learn how to apply for CFC financing, understand what makes a proposal successful, and discover how your project can deliver real impact at the grassroots—improving smallholder incomes, strengthening local enterprises, and building resilient, sustainable value chains. 🌿

This session will walk you through:
💠 CFC’s financing instruments and application process
💠 Key eligibility and selection criteria
💠 How to design projects that put smallholders, workers, women, and ecosystems at the centre
💠 How your initiative can contribute meaningfully to the SDGs while scaling commercially

📅𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞: 𝐖𝐞𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟔 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
⏰𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞: 𝟏𝟎:𝟎𝟎 – 𝟏𝟏:𝟎𝟎 𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐓
📍𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞: 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞

💡 Whether you are applying for the first time or refining an existing idea, this webinar will help you position your project not just for funding—but as part of a global community of impact champions transforming commodity value chains from the ground up.

𝐓𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐞𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫👉 https://lnkd.in/e7yNnRE3

𝐓𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬👉 https://lnkd.in/gdHQSYR7

Join us in building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable commodity value chains that generate long-term impact. 🌍

05/05/2026

Transforming agriculture requires both investment and partnership—bringing together finance, knowledge, technical support and long-term commitment🌿

The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), together with The Agricultural Commodity Transformation Fund (ACT Fund), welcomes a €500,000 grant from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUKN) to strengthen the ACT Fund’s Technical Assistance (TA) Facility, which will be managed by the CFC experienced in-house TA Facility team. 🤝

This support aims to accelerate the shift toward inclusive organic, regenerative, agroecological and climate-resilient agricultural systems—especially in Sub-Saharan Africa—while advancing nature-based solutions that restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity. 🪴

Through a three-year programme, tailored technical assistance will support agri-SMEs and their networks of smallholder farmers—enhancing climate adaptation and mitigation, improving incomes and strengthening resilience across commodity value chains. 🌐

As Eva M. Johansson, Senior Technical Assistance Facility Manager at CFC, notes:
“The Federal Environment Ministry’s support enables the ACT TA Facility to deliver targeted, high-impact support to the agri-SMEs and farmers who form the backbone of agricultural value chains in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The grant comes at a pivotal moment for the ACT Fund, following its first close of USD 40 million in September 2025. As the Fund prepares its first investments, it aims over its 10-year lifecycle to support 275,000 smallholder farmers, strengthen climate-resilient production across more than 250,000 hectares and deploy capital to 70 agricultural SMEs. 👩‍🌾 🧑‍🌾

By combining capital with targeted technical support, the ACT Fund is advancing practical and scalable solutions that strengthen rural livelihoods while promoting sustainable and resilient agricultural systems. 🌿👏

Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eYDkZUHg

Access the News item here as well:
DE: https://lnkd.in/e25vVeNn
EN: https://lnkd.in/eszMbmDt

30/04/2026

Today, we celebrate the people behind progress. 🌍

May 1—widely known as Labour Day, International Workers’ Day, or simply May Day—is more than a moment of recognition. It’s a reminder of the millions of workers whose dedication powers global value chains, sustains communities, and shapes our collective future.

At CFC, this reality is at the heart of everything we do. 👏

Across the world, over 3.5 billion people make up the global workforce—many of them smallholder farmers, producers, and entrepreneurs at the foundation of commodity economies. Yet millions still face limited access to markets, financing, and fair opportunities. 🌐

From the first harvest to the final product, CFC works across the full spectrum of commodities—connecting people, markets, and opportunity. Our projects span coffee and cocoa to fisheries, from fruits and spices to cashew, and even innovative solutions like recycled cooking oil—each representing a vital link in global value chains. 🌿

But beyond this diversity lies a single focus: unlocking value where it matters most—at the source. By supporting smallholders, producers, and local enterprises, we help turn raw potential into sustainable income, strengthen market access, and build resilience in the face of climate and economic challenges. Whether it’s a coffee farmer improving quality, a fisheries enterprise scaling responsibly, or a producer transforming waste into value, our work is about rethinking how commodities create impact.

Because when value chains become more inclusive, every step—from farm to market—works better for the people behind them. 👩‍🌾🧑‍🌾

Our mission is simple but powerful: to align economic opportunity with environmental sustainability and social inclusion, ensuring that growth reaches those who need it most. 🌐

This Labour Day, we recognize not just the work being done—but the people doing it.

Here’s to building value chains that work for everyone. 🌿
Here’s to dignity in work, opportunity in every community, and a future shaped by inclusive growth. 🤝

29/04/2026

𝗡𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀. 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲: 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴. 📈

At its 81st meeting, the CFC Executive Board approved a new set of projects
designed to strengthen agricultural value chains and support smallholder farmers across Africa, Asia, and Latin America 🌍

From cocoa and coffee to rice, shea, and avocado, these investments target the backbone of local economies—smallholders and agri-SMEs—by improving access to finance and strengthening market systems. 🌿

The strengthening pipeline underscores a broader trend: demand for financing continues to grow, while the availability of accessible, well-structured capital remains limited.

As CFC Managing Director Ambassador Sheikh Belal states: “The problem is not a shortage of viable projects—the problem is a shortage of appropriately structured capital where real producers operate.”

Alongside these projects, the Executive Board also reviewed key operational and strategic developments, including a growing project pipeline of 39 projects across 29 countries, with an estimated value of approximately USD 33 million and progress in The Agricultural Commodity Transformation Fund (ACT Fund), which is now entering its investment phase. 🤝

With increasing demand and a robust pipeline of high-quality projects, the CFC remains focused on scaling its impact—mobilizing partnerships, strengthening value chains, and delivering practical solutions where they are needed most. 🌐

Commodity value chains must work not only for markets—but for the people at their origin. 👩‍🌾

🔗 Read more here: https://www.common-fund.org/cfc-executive-board-approves-new-investments-strengthen-global-agri-sme-financing-and-support

28/04/2026

Happy King’s Day! – Fijne Koningsdag! 🧡

Today, the streets and canals of Amsterdam turn orange as millions gather to celebrate King’s Day.

🍻 It’s estimated that 10–15 million beers are enjoyed in a single day.
But behind every toast is something we don’t always see…

➡️ 1 glass of beer (~250 ml) = 50–70 grams of barley or sorghum
➡️ That means today’s celebrations require 500–1,000+ tonnes of grain

Now imagine the chain behind that:
From a cheering crowd in Amsterdam…
…to smallholder farmers across the world 🌾
—from Nigeria to Ethiopia,
—from Uganda to India,
—from Brazil to Ukraine.

Without those farmers—no grain.
Without grain—no beer.
Without beer… King’s Day would feel very different.

So as we celebrate a beloved king— because HIS MAJESTY’s people are happy and thriving— 👉 can we imagine a world where smallholders and SMEs everywhere feel just as supported, empowered, and celebrated?

At the Common Fund for Commodities, that’s what we work toward every day:
✔️ Stronger livelihoods
✔️ Resilient value chains
✔️ Inclusive growth that connects producers to global celebrations

Because behind every “Proost!”… there’s a producer.

On this festive day, we celebrate not only the rich culture and traditions of the Netherlands, but also the enduring partnership that allows us to advance shared goals of sustainability, equity, and prosperity.

We look forward to continuing our collaboration with the Netherlands in building a more inclusive and sustainable global economy.

Happy King’s Day! 🧡
Fijne Koningsdag! 🧡
Fijne Koningsdag allemaal! 🧡

24/04/2026

🌍🌱 Earth Day invites a simple but urgent question: what kind of systems are we investing in—and who do they serve?

Agriculture feeds the world—but it also shapes the health of our planet. Today, the sector contributes nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions and remains a major driver of deforestation and biodiversity loss. Yet, it also holds immense potential to be part of the solution.

With the right approaches, agriculture can restore ecosystems, strengthen resilience, and support long-term food security.

At the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), we believe that sustainable agriculture is essential to building resilient economies and communities. For over three decades, we have worked to support smallholder farmers and strengthen agricultural value chains across developing economies.

The Agricultural Commodity Transformation Fund (ACT Fund) is one example of this approach—investing in agri-SMEs to scale Inclusive Regenerative Agriculture —an approach that recognizes that environmental restoration and human prosperity are deeply connected. By combining financing with technical assistance, the Fund supports businesses and farmers in transitioning toward more sustainable, climate-resilient systems. 🌐

This Earth Day, the challenge is not just to do less harm—but to invest in solutions that actively restore, include, and sustain.🌱

09/04/2026

What does future-proof development look like in practice?🌐

At the launch of CFC 2.0 in Amsterdam, the Common Fund for Commodities brought together Member States, partners, and stakeholders with a shared focus: delivering real, lasting impact where it matters most — on the ground.

From financing SMEs and strengthening producer organizations to advancing climate-resilient investments and technical assistance, CFC 2.0 reflects a more agile, catalytic, and partnership-driven approach to development. 🌍

“Development is never a straight line… CFC stays close and works through the difficulty. CFC is not only a lender. CFC is a partner. CFC is a friend.” -affirms Amb. Sheikh Belal, Managing Director of CFC.

The message is clear: value chains must work for people - for farmers, smallholders, and local enterprises at the heart of global commodity systems. 👩‍🌾

By combining innovative finance, strategic partnerships, and a renewed vision, CFC is helping close the financing gap for the “missing middle” and advancing more inclusive, sustainable, and resilient commodity value chains. 🤝

𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 — 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁🌿

🔗 Read more: https://www.common-fund.org/building-future-commodity-value-chains-inside-cfc-20

Common Fund for Commodities

02/06/2026

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