JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – Standard Bank Group mobilized R3.45 billion for climate-smart agriculture over the past year, supporting investments aimed at improving climate resilience, strengthening food systems and enhancing long-term agricultural productivity.

The financing forms part of the bank’s sustainable finance programme and supports initiatives including water-efficient irrigation, renewable energy systems, regenerative farming practices, precision agriculture, solar-powered technologies and data-driven crop management.

According to Standard Bank, these investments help farmers improve operational efficiency while adapting to increasing climate-related risks.

The programme is part of the bank’s broader sustainable finance strategy, which seeks to deliver environmental and social benefits alongside financial returns.

Standard Bank said it is also expanding access to finance for emerging and medium-sized farmers through financing solutions tailored to agricultural production cycles and climate-related challenges.

The bank noted that climate-smart agriculture can help reduce emissions, protect biodiversity, strengthen resilience across agricultural value chains and support rural economic development.

Louis van Ravesteyn, Group Head of Agriculture at Standard Bank, said farmers are increasingly adopting climate-smart practices but require appropriate financing to scale these solutions.

“We are seeing a shift towards more resilient, efficient farming models that combine sustainability with productivity,” he said.

Boitumelo Sethlatswe, Head of Sustainability at Standard Bank, said directing capital towards climate-smart agriculture supports producers, communities and ecosystems while strengthening resilience across the agricultural value chain.

She added that sustainable finance plays an important role in enabling a just transition by helping safeguard livelihoods and promote inclusive economic growth while responding to climate risks.