The Common Fund for Commodities and the ACT Fund at the SASI Learning & Scaling Labs: scaling sustainable agriculture through partnership and finance. / Fri, 06/12/2026 - 11:46 On 6 May 2026, the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) participated in the SASI Learning & Scaling Labs Kick-Off Event in Bonn, Germany. The event brought together a diverse group of stakeholders: private sector actors, technical organizations, donors, researchers, and implementing partners, all working toward a shared ambition of accelerating sustainable transformation across global agricultural value chains. Organized under the Sustainable Agricultural Supply Chains Initiative (SASI), a GIZ-led initiative implemented on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the SASI Labs were designed to address a central question: how can promising sustainability pilots move beyond isolated success stories and achieve scalable, lasting impact? SASI pursues this by fostering partnerships, supporting innovation, and encouraging collaboration across public and private sector actors, civil society organizations, and research institutions. Representing the CFC, Michael van den Berg as Fund Director of the ACT Fund joined the opening moderated dialogue on scaling partnerships and financing mechanisms. The discussions reinforced a growing recognition that scaling sustainable agriculture requires more than financing alone. It also depends on strong partnerships, tailored technical support, and locally grounded implementation models. As Michael noted: "The conversation kept coming back to the same point: money moves, but transformation requires partnerships. That is what we are trying to put into practice with the ACT Fund". This framing sits at the heart of the ACT Fund. Agricultural systems are increasingly under pressure from climate shocks, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and evolving sustainability requirements. These challenges hit the most vulnerable actors hardest, particularly smallholder farmers and rural communities, who often have the least resources to adapt despite being the most exposed. The ACT Fund responds to this by supporting commercially viable agri-SMEs operating at the intersection of smallholder livelihoods, climate resilience, and biodiversity, with the goal of strengthening both sustainability and long-term economic resilience across agricultural value chains. Complementing the Fund, the ACT Technical Assistance Facility (ACT TAF) provides tailored support to investee companies and their smallholder networks. A key part of what makes the ACT TA Facility work in practice is its demand-driven approach: rather than prescribing solutions, ACT TA Facility responds to the actual needs and requests of the agri-SMEs it works with, supporting them on their own terms. This might involve regenerative, climate-smart or organic agricultural practices, farmer support systems, traceability and data systems, or more inclusive operational models, but always in response to what companies themselves identify as priorities. Companies also contribute to the cost of this support, which in practice reinforces the equal partnership model: assistance is requested, not imposed, and jointly invested in. Many of the themes that emerged from the SASI Learning & Scaling Labs, around blended finance, ecosystem collaboration, and the conditions needed for scaling, reflected this same philosophy. The event reinforced that the shift from fragmented pilots to lasting systemic change depends on trust, local knowledge, and partnerships built on equal footing. For the CFC and the ACT TAF, the Bonn event was a useful reminder of how much can be achieved when the right actors are in the room together. As Common Fund continue to grow the ACT Fund and expand the reach of the ACT TAF, currently supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMKUN), Common Fund is actively looking to deepen its partnership base. That includes organizations with local expertise in climate resilience, biodiversity, or farmer support; knowledge partners working on sustainability standards or data systems; businesses that could benefit from demand-driven technical assistance; and donors or coinvestors who share its commitment to inclusive and regenerative agricultural systems. If any of this resonates, Common Fund would be glad to hear from you. Further Information For further information about the ACT Fund, please contact:

Building the future of commodity value chains: inside CFC 2.0. / Wed, 03/25/2026 - 13:00 Amsterdam, Netherlands - 25 March 2026 - The Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) today presented its renewed strategic direction, "CFC 2.0," at a high-level session during the Annual Meetings. The initiative marks a shift toward a more agile, catalytic, and impact-driven approach to financing commodity value chains. Opening the session, Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal, Managing Director of the CFC, framed CFC 2.0 as a necessary evolution in response to growing global challenges. He emphasized that the Fund is strengthening its role not only as a financier, but as a long-term partner committed to delivering practical solutions where they are most needed. At a time of increasing global volatility - driven by climate change, price shocks, and persistent financing gaps for smallholders and SMEs - CFC 2.0 aims to accelerate access to blended finance and scale investment in sustainable commodity production. "CFC 2.0 reflects our commitment to evolve and respond to today's challenges with greater speed, flexibility, and ambition. We are strengthening our ability to take on risk, mobilize partners, and deliver measurable impact where it is most needed," said Ambassador Sheikh Mohammed Belal. Under this renewed approach, CFC will: * Streamline approval processes to deploy capital more quickly * Expand the use of blended finance to crowd in private investment * Strengthen technical assistance to improve project bankability * Focus on scalable, high-impact interventions across commodity sectors Throughout the day, participants were introduced to the CFC's operational instruments and financing windows through presentations by CFC experts. These included the core loan portfolio presented by Mr. Nicolaus Cromme, Chief Operations Officer, the UK FCDO Trust Fund by Mr. Ernesto Daza Lacouture, Impact Investment Manager, and the ACT Fund by Mr. Michael van den Berg, ACT Fund Director. Further insights were provided on the Technical Assistance Facility by Ms. Eva Johansson, Senior TA Facility Manager, as well as on external climate-related partnerships, including CAFI, presented by Mr. Peter Nielsen, Impact Investment Manager. The event also underscored the CFC's expanding role in sustainability and impact measurement. Presentations on the Fund's environmental and social management systems (SEMS) and impact measurement were delivered by Mr. Mathias Cooman, Impact Strategy Officer, while opportunities under the CFC Call for Proposals were outlined by Mr. Chris Rallis, Impact Investment Manager. In addition, Mr. Andrey Khulesov, Chief Strategy Officer presented its Strategic Framework 2025-2035, outlining a clear roadmap to scale impact and deepen collaboration with Member States and partners. A central theme of the session was the need to "humanize value chains," ensuring that farmers and producers receive a fairer share of value. Innovative approaches such as micro-repatriation and digital tipping were highlighted as emerging tools to strengthen direct income flows and improve livelihoods at the grassroots level. Discussions throughout the day focused on how national commodity strategies can be reinforced through enhanced access to finance, stronger partnerships, and improved market connectivity. The session concluded with a call for renewed political commitment, expanded partnerships, and increased contributions to amplify the CFC's global impact. The event reaffirmed the CFC's role as a trusted partner in advancing inclusive and sustainable commodity development. As CFC 2.0 moves forward, the institution stands ready to mobilize resources, deepen collaboration, and scale practical solutions that deliver lasting impact for smallholders, SMEs, and commodity-dependent economies worldwide. The event brought together representatives from Member States, participating both in person and virtually. The event concluded with an engaging and interactive Q&A session, fostering the exchange of insights and deeper discussion of key issues, while reaffirming a shared commitment to alleviating poverty through innovative approaches such as humanizing value chains and addressing the financing needs of the "missing middle." For media inquiries, please contact: [CFC Media Relations Team] [Email: [email protected]] [Phone: +31 20 575 4949]