Financial Markets

To reduce the risk of food and energy shortages and help maintain stable prices for emerging market buyers, IFC launched the Critical Commodities Finance Program (CCFP) to channel funds to support the global trade of commodities. 

Through this innovative public-private partnership, IFC will maintain credit for traders and intermediaries that move food and agricultural products in and out of low-income countries. 

By supporting commodity-backed finance and outreach in partnerships with banks, the CCFP will promote commodities as an asset class and encourage local and regional banks to participate in funding critical economic sectors, which will ultimately help increase access to finance and develop local markets.

Food and Energy Matter for Development

Thirty-eight of the poorest countries, those served by the International Development Association, rely on agriculture to provide over half the total jobs available in their economies. Estimates indicate that food production will need to grow by 70 percent to meet the needs of a growing global population by 2050. 

To generate employment opportunities and help ensure food security in emerging markets, the CCFP enables the continued trade of crops, as well as the energy imports needed to enhance labor productivity, maintain economic growth, and sustain poverty reduction. 

Program Structure

Leveraging IFC’s trade finance experience, in particular the structure and platform of its award-winning Global Trade Liquidity Program, the CCFP shares risk with global and regional banks as they expand their emerging market commodities trade portfolios. The program finances the exports and imports of agricultural commodities and inputs globally, and imports of energy into the world’s poorest countries.

IFC contributes its own funds and mobilizes additional commitments from governments and other development finance institutions to channel liquidity and guarantees to emerging market banks and real sector companies, including input providers, producers, aggregators, and traders.

Interested in participating? Contact our team to express interest or get more information.