Ghanaian agri-tech company Complete Farmer has secured a $2.4 million convertible loan from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) to expand financing for smallholder farmers and scale its agricultural input and agronomy services. This financing is supported through the Business Investment Financing Track (BIFT) of the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). The IFC is also providing $480,000 in advisory support to strengthen Complete Farmer's systems and organisational capacity as it scales.
Complete Farmer, founded in 2017, connects smallholder farmers in Ghana and Togo with international commodity buyers. The company currently works with more than 72,000 farmers, supported by over 350 field agents and eight fulfillment centres handling aggregation, grading, quality control, and export logistics. Its buyers include European retailers Aldi and Lidl. The company has expanded beyond commodity trading into agricultural inputs and equipment, while also offering credit products that use farm data to assess farmers and facilitate access to financing.
The latest financing builds on a $10.4 million pre-Series A round raised in 2023 and a $2.5 million facility from the European Union-funded AgriFI facility secured in 2025. This partnership with the IFC is expected to help extend Complete Farmer's reach to 240,000 farmers by 2030, including by facilitating greater access to finance. The company's technology and data infrastructure aim to address one of the biggest constraints facing smallholder agriculture in Africa: limited access to affordable financing.
Complete Farmer's CEO, Desmond Koney, stated that the partnership with the IFC is about making finance work better for farmers. He noted that many farmers with the capacity to grow commercially still struggle to access the financing they need. Koney said the IFC financing would allow the company to scale its input financing model and give more farmers access to the resources needed to increase production and participate in agricultural markets.
By linking farmer data, agricultural inputs, production support, and commodity markets, Complete Farmer aims to reduce the financing gap while giving international buyers greater visibility into agricultural supply chains. The company's model has shown promise in Ghana and Togo, and with this new financing, it is poised to expand its impact. The IFC's support will help Complete Farmer strengthen its systems and organisational capacity to handle the increased scale.
The partnership between Complete Farmer and the IFC is a significant development in the effort to address the financing gap in smallholder agriculture. With this financing, Complete Farmer will be able to provide more farmers with access to the resources they need to increase production and participate in agricultural markets. This, in turn, can help to improve food security and increase incomes for smallholder farmers.
Complete Farmer's innovative approach to agricultural financing and its partnership with the IFC have the potential to make a significant impact on smallholder agriculture in Africa. By leveraging technology and data, the company aims to reduce the financing gap and improve the lives of smallholder farmers. As the company continues to scale, it is likely to become a key player in the African agricultural sector.
Key points
- Complete Farmer secures $2.4 million to expand financing for smallholder farmers.
- The company aims to extend its reach to 240,000 farmers by 2030.
- The partnership with the IFC will help address the financing gap in smallholder agriculture.
