The COVID-19 crisis has brought into sharp relief a number of weaknesses in agri-food systems and created new challenges whose repercussions may be felt in the sector for a long time. Among other things, it has shown the limits of our capacity to anticipate shocks and tested the risk management capacity of actors in supply chains and in government, finance, and other sectors. Going forward, it is not clear how different parts of the sector will respond to the longer-term impacts of the crisis nor to other persisting sources of risk. In this context, many agri-SMEs are suffering from disruptions in supply chains and cash flow problems, and many lack the capital and capacity to undertake investments that could strengthen their resilience. Many financial service providers (FSPs) have also been affected by the crisis, particularly in terms of increased risk of non-performing loans and assets.

This is a very opportune time to take a close look at what tools exist in agricultural risk management that can be deployed both to address the current crisis and to build resilience for the future. What are the relevant tools and what can be learned from recent examples of their application? Where are the main areas where innovative products, delivery mechanisms, or complementary measures are most needed in the short or longer term? These questions will be addressed in the upcoming e-learning LIVE TALK series on “Risk management for agri-SME finance” and will include four webinars starting from September to December 2020.

The LIVE TALK SERIES on "Risk management for agri-SME finance" will include four webinars, as follows:

LIVE TALK 01, September 2020: Introductory panel on agricultural risk management from the perspective of agri-SMEs finance. Has the COVID-19 crisis significantly changed the risk environment around agri-SMEs and their access to finance? Has it brought new challenges for the agricultural risk management toolbox? How are agri-SMEs and financial service providers responding? What are the gaps and what new tools are needed?

LIVE TALK 02, October 2020: Case study analysis on risk management approaches used by agri-SMEs in different value chain and geographical contexts.

LIVE TALK O3, November 2020: Case study analysis on risk management approaches that can be used by agri-SME finance providers, including financial and non-financial approaches and instruments (e.g. agricultural and / or business interruption insurance, financial and non-financial price hedging strategies and products, etc.)

LIVE TALK 04, December 2020: Closing panel on emerging policy issues in agricultural risk management.

Webinars 2 and 3 will include parallel sessions on up to three case studies per topic. This call aims to invite proposals of concrete experiences to feature in these sessions.