The Alternative Bank has launched an ethical financing framework intended to reshape agricultural finance in Africa by prioritising farmers, community resilience and long‑term sustainability over short‑term returns.

Speaking at Agriculture Summit Africa 2025, themed “Survival of the Greenest: Reclaiming Africa’s Food Destiny,” the bank’s Executive Director (North), Garba Mohammed, said the framework establishes a new standard for purpose‑driven investment on the continent. Represented at the summit by his Chief of Staff, Azeez Badru, Mohammed argued that how Africa is financed is as decisive as how it is farmed.

“This theme signals a continental awakening. Reclaiming Africa’s food destiny will require the courage to finance differently — to make money serve humanity, not the other way round,” he said.

Farmers, not financiers, at the centre

Mohammed framed agriculture as “a sacred trust” and said the bank will prioritise finance that delivers measurable benefits to families, land and livelihoods rather than speculative returns. He warned that for too long producers have borne the greatest risks while financiers captured the largest gains — an imbalance the bank intends to correct.

“We are financing purpose, not just profit,” he said. “Every loan and partnership must feed families, preserve the land and strengthen livelihoods.”

Sharia‑inspired instruments to redistribute risk

The bank’s approach adapts established non‑interest instruments — including Mudarabah (profit‑and‑loss sharing), Musharakah (equity partnership), Ijara (lease‑to‑own) and Murabaha (cost‑plus trade finance) — to agriculture finance. These tools are presented as mechanisms to distribute risk and reward more equitably across producers, processors and distributors.

Beyond credit: financing resilience and low‑carbon tech

The framework extends beyond working capital: the bank will back renewable energy for irrigation, solar‑powered cold storage and waste‑to‑value technologies that cut environmental impact while raising productivity and incomes. Mohammed described this as financing that rewards stewardship over speculation.

A call to action

The Alternative Bank used the summit to invite investors, institutions and innovators to join a movement to rebuild Africa’s food systems around dignity, equity and sustainability. “We’re leading this charge,” Mohammed said, “and we welcome farmers, off‑takers and partners who believe finance should build a fair and resilient food system.”