Modern finance: a catalyst for truly modern agriculture

Abstract

This paper aims at investigating the crucial role that the three pillars of the financial system – i.e. financial markets, products and institutions – are likely to play in order to speed up the process of modernization in agriculture, especially in agri-food chains. Four main areas of interest can be identified that consist of sustainable, inclusive, blended and rural finance, and that embody a set of strategic tools: their support to the agricultural sector ranges from its most traditional side to unprecedented forward steps, such as those pertaining to novel foods and to farming on Mars. While innovation allows for progress both in the financial industry and in agribusiness, glocal co-opetitive challenges surface from what can be found at the crossroads: a growing concern for sustainability issues is just an example, which leads to emphasize the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the underlying generation pact. Focusing on finance, this is a qualitative research that draws upon empirical evidence and success stories; a framework for analysis is outlined, in an attempt at promoting rural finance as a specialized discipline from a theoretical point of view and a peculiar market segment for operating purposes, with relevant sub-sets such as agricultural finance, agricultural value chain finance and agricultural microfinance. Conclusions encompass recommendations that unveil academic implications; supporting arguments stem from – among others – the widely recognized need for upgrading financial education and literacy, especially in rural areas and even within the context of lifelong learning.