Bart graduated in applied Economics at the University of Antwerp (1997) and in Development Studies in Louvain-la-Neuve (1998). He worked for over 15 years on improving rural access to microfinance. For TRIAS based in Tanzania and for ICCO/Terrafina based in Mali, he developed rural finance products in the field, through various approaches such as rural solidarity lending, warehouse receipt lending, and value chain finance. In the last three years, Bart has worked as an independent consultant (and as an associate consultant for FSAS Advisory Services) further deepening his insights into rural finance.
Recent experiences have reaffirmed that working through farmer associations and cooperatives is a high potential approach for reaching out to smallholder farmers. Although significant barriers remain, such as cooperative governance and market risks, these can be managed through solid risk analysis and risk mitigation. Join the webinar to find out more about this compelling subject.
, (Independent Rural Finance Consultant)