The FAO Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Helpdesk is a gateway to FAO's knowledge, tools and expertise for assisting Members and other actors, implement the 2030 Agenda and achieve the 17 SDGs through the transformation of our global agrifood systems. Explore the platform to understand how FAO supports Member to Accelerate SDG progress through knowledge and information; how we empower our partners to Champion SDGs on the ground and Transform our agrifood systems through innovative action.
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Highlights
Linking agrifood SMEs to finance and innovation for sustainable agrifood systems – Fintech for smallholder financial inclusion
Date 27 January 2026, 15:00
Presenters:
- Niclas Benni, Rural Finance Specialist, Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, FAO
- Panos Loukos, Director of Financial Inclusion, The Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA)
- Yiannis Theodorou, Senior Advisor and Global Lead (Digital ID), Tony Blair Institute
This lecture will examine how financial technologies (fintech) can advance the financial inclusion of marginalized smallholders, with a particular focus on rural youth and women. It will introduce key concepts and challenges associated with applying fintech in rural contexts and showcase selected solutions, including DigiFarm (Kenya), MyBank (China) and Pula (Sub-Saharan Africa). Focusing on digital farmer registries as a central case study, the lecture will feature perspectives from leading experts from the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA) and the Tony Blair Institute on how these tools can reduce structural barriers to financial access for smallholders and support sustainable economic and social development.
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Publication
FAO and the Sustainable Development Goals
Achieving the 2030 Agenda through empowerment of local communities
e-Learning
The 2030 Agenda Follow-Up and Review
This course series is designed to equip learners with the essential knowledge and skills needed to support preparations of the Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs) for the High-level Political Forum (HLPF).