The Agricultural Management, Marketing and Finance Service (AGSF) is responsible for FAO activities and technical support relating to agricultural marketing and input supply systems, rural financial services, farm and agribusiness management, agribusiness development, and farming systems economics.

AGSF assists FAO clients in improving the performance of agricultural marketing systems and rural financial services and systems; and the profitability, efficiency and competitiveness of farms and agribusiness firms. The Service:

• identifies and promotes new opportunities for income and employment generation, services provision, and value addition in the agricultural sector;
• produces training materials, guidelines, and information to strengthen entrepreneurial and managerial skills and improve the practices of private sector service providers;
• helps ensure that farm and agribusiness managers and commercial service can obtain adequate funding, information and training to operate and expand their farm or related agri-business; and
• encourages sound public decision making about complementary public sector services and policy frameworks based on understanding of market dynamics and market-driven agriculture.

The work of the Service is carried out through three technical groups. The Agricultural Management Group works on farm and agribusiness management, and farming systems economics. The Agricultural Marketing group works on domestic aspects of agricultural marketing systems for farm inputs, farm produce and agro-industrial products. The Rural Finance Group develops and supports the use of better banking practices, appropriate financial products and innovative financial technologies.