Investing in smallholder farmers to harvest change

Smallholder farmers in Africa, Latin America and Asia are the backbone of many food systems – yet they often lack access to financing. Limited investments and insufficient technical support make it difficult for them to develop their farms sustainably, cope with climate change and secure stable yields.

 

The Smallholder SustaiNability Upscaling Programme (SSNUP) addresses this challenge. It supports actors along agricultural value chains – from producers to processors – through technical assistance and accompanying investments. This improves financial services, advisory offers and market access for smallholder farmers.

 

The LED contributes EUR 1.5 million to the programme, helping smallholder families increase their productivity, strengthen their resilience to crises and achieve more stable incomes.

Programme objectives:

 

• Smallholder farmers gain access to new financial services, training and markets.
• Agricultural enterprises grow sustainably, create jobs and invest in environmentally friendly practices.
• Impact investors are encouraged to invest in underserved agricultural markets.
• Companies outside the programme increasingly adopt sustainable production and processing practices.

 

The programme runs from May 2025 to April 2029 and is implemented in low- and middle-income countries. It makes an important contribution to food security, poverty reduction and the promotion of sustainable agricultural systems.