ISF Webinar: Beyond the Frontier – Decoding Viability in Smallholder Finance

About the Webinar

How can smallholder finance become both sustainable and scalable?

Join ISF Advisors and industry leaders for a 90-minute webinar unpacking insights from the 2025 Rural and Agricultural Finance State of the Sector Report: Beyond the Frontier: Decoding viability in smallholder finance.

This deep dive will explore what makes smallholder finance viable, how different market actors can shift the viability frontier, and the practical steps needed to bring more farmers into sustainable financial systems.

Agenda (90 mins)
Report presentation (30mins) – Clara Colina, ISF Advisors
Panel discussion (30-40mins) – Harry Davies, Carolijn Gommans & Songbae Lee
Audience Q&A (20 mins)

Date: 19 November 2025 | Time: 14:00 CET | Zoom

What we explored

• What ‘viability’ really means — balancing commercial performance with impact outcomes.
• How leading funders and financial institutions are addressing the economics of serving smallholders.
• Practical examples of business models shifting the frontier — and where catalytic capital fits in.
• How to operationalize the viability frontier in different markets and value chains.

Featured Speakers

Clara Colina – Director, ISF Advisors (Moderator & Presenter)
Leads ISF’s strategic advisory and research on sustainable food systems, with deep expertise in smallholder finance and impact investing.

Harry Davies – Principal, Ceniarth
Brings over 25 years’ experience designing and implementing inclusive and climate-focused finance initiatives for investors, governments, and NGOs.

Carolijn Gommans – Director, IDH Intelligence and Business Analytics
Oversees data-driven insights and partnerships that enable sustainable and inclusive market transformation across global value chains.

Songbae Lee – Independent agri-finance expert
Development-finance specialist with extensive experience advancing agricultural and rural-finance initiatives in emerging markets.