The Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) released the first white paper of a series, Food Systems and Development Finance. This white paper explores the potential for development finance to support this new food system asset class with a dozen case studies featuring bonds, tax increment finance, tax credits and revolving loan fund programs.
The coming papers in the CDFA Food Finance Series will further dive into the definition and inner workings of specific development finance tools and feature supportive case studies, as well as provide a view of the future landscape of food systems and development finance.
CDFA received a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to fund the research of the opportunities to leverage existing capital financing streams to scale equitable food systems in low-income communities in order to create new jobs and increase access to healthy food for children and families. Over a two-year period, CDFA will produce six white papers about development finance and the food system, conduct five pilot projects of food-related projects utilizing traditional development finance tools, and manage a Food Systems Finance Advisory Council.
