The Asian Farmers’ Association for Sustainable Rural Development (AFA), represented by Business Development Officer Juneliza Pandela, participated in the Multi-Actor Partnership on Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance (MAP-CDRFI) Southeast Asia event, organized by the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities (ICSC) in Bangkok, Thailand, from 19–22 May 2026.
Pandela presented the ARISE revolving fund model, which demonstrates how farmer organizations can lead practical climate and disaster risk financing. Through ARISE, AFA strengthens national and local farmer organizations, enabling them to provide production capital, working capital, agricultural inputs, market access, and technical support directly to smallholder farmers. In Southeast Asia, the initiative has reached 32,692 smallholder farmers—including 15,627 women and 4,730 youth—achieving a 524% average fund utilization rate and a 100% repayment rate.
AFA’s experience highlights that farmer organizations can serve as trusted financing conduits, lower barriers to entry, support crisis recovery, and build resilience against climate shocks, health crises, conflict, and economic instability. Overall, AFA demonstrated an inclusive, farmer-led, and partnership-based model linking financial accountability, market stability, and future opportunities in agricultural insurance and climate finance.
AFA’s participation in this event is supported by the ACRE project.
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