Twin pillars of climate-smart agriculture

The key to sustainable farming practices is blending agriculture, innovation and technology. Kotut explained how technology systems help manage water usage: “We use tech a lot because it has become cheaper. Every supervisor has a smartphone on which they digitally record every production and harvest cycle. We use technology to track and see that we’re not overusing and wasting water and nutrients.”

These technological advances represent just one aspect of the climate-smart agriculture equation. Equally important is the financial infrastructure needed to support widespread adoption, particularly among smallholder farmers who may lack capital for initial investments.

This is where Governments and Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) have emerged as key players alongside banks in agricultural value chain investment opportunities.

“They are interested in how we uplift smallholder farmers. They’re very interested in sustainability and climate change. The blended finance is just a way we share either risk with the funder, be it a Government or DFI, or they can give certain guarantees and risk sharing,” van Ravesteyn explained.

This blended finance approach creates a sustainable cycle: technology enables more efficient resource use and higher productivity, while targeted financial instruments make these technologies accessible to farmers of all sizes.

Export challenges

The agricultural sector’s expansion into international markets offers significant opportunities but comes with complex challenges. Rossouw, whose family-owned grape farm has been in business with Standard Bank for over a decade, highlighted the tariff and non-tariff barriers encountered when exporting to certain markets.

“I have to compete against Australia, Peru, and Chile, which sometimes have zero import duty. I have to go through five sanitary protocols and cold storage requirements. By the time my grapes arrive in the Asian market, the shelf life is much shorter, and I can’t compete,” he said.

Standard Bank is stepping in to help agricultural clients navigate the increasingly complex landscape of international trade and sustainability requirements. As global markets demand greater transparency and environmental compliance, banks are evolving from traditional financiers to strategic partners.

“In the future, if you export to the EU, you might be asked to comply with certain international regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation. There’s a lot of work happening around traceability. You will have to show where the commodities we export are coming from and demonstrate the practices that farmers are complying with,” Van Ravesteyn explained.

Africa Unlocked

An important part of Standard Bank’s Africa Unlocked Conference was bringing together stakeholders from across the continent to strengthen intra-African trade.

“The conference has helped connect farmers and buyers across the continent and opened new markets. We have seen relationships form here that you can’t form over email or a Teams call. These are some of the small wins that this type of environment creates,” he concluded.