Strengthening sustainable agriculture in Brazil through Sicredi’s rural network

We partnered with Banco Cooperativo Sicredi to channel financing to small and medium-sized agricultural producers and family farms.

Why did we choose to partner with Sicredi? Because of the bank’s combines a strong presence in Brazil’s agricultural sector andwith an established sustainability framework. Through its extensive agribusiness portfolio, Sicredi Sicredi reaches a broad base of agricultural producers. In additionFurthermore, aA subset of this portfolio is already linked to producers implementing practices aligned with ourthe Fund’s Green List, providing a foundationbasis to further expand sustainable lending.

Other benefits of Sicredi’s model include its cooperative structure, which allows it to tailor financial solutions for individual members. The bank is also aligned with international frameworks, such as GRI (Global Reporting Initiative), SASB (Sustainability Accounting Standards Board) and TCFD (Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures), supporting transparency in its environmental and social approach. 

Complementing our financing, the Fund supports the “Elas no Campo” (Women in Agriculture) advisory & capacity building project, which provides farm diagnostics, tailored advise, and training to female farmers.  

Sustainability performance has improved across participating farms, particularly through the adoption of good agricultural practices and alignment with environmental standards.

Compliance with environmental registration (CAR), for example, increased significantly among participating producers, supporting both regulatory alignment and access to formal finance.  

Farmers also developed their soil management, incorporated bio-inputs into everyday processes, and enhanced animal welfare measures.

Clearly, financing and advisory & capacity building support and reinforce each other. While the investment expands access to finance for sustainable production, the advisory & capacity building ensures that these resources translate into operational improvements.