609448 - Crop and Warehouse Receipts in the Western Balkans and the South Caucasus

Who We Are
Who We Are

IFC is the largest global development institution focused on the private sector in developing countries. By encouraging growth, IFC advances economic development, creates jobs and improves the lives of people.
More About Us
About IFC

Our Leadership

Development Partners
Accountability

Learn more about accountability
Annual Report

Download the Report
What We Do
What We Do

IFC advances economic development and improves the lives of people by encouraging the growth of the private sector in developing countries. We achieve this by investing in impactful projects, mobilizing other investors, and sharing expertise.
What We Do Overview
SOLUTIONS

Our products and services
OUR PRIORITIES

Climate Business

Fragile & Conflict Afflicted Situations

Gender

Mobilizing Private Capital

Sustainability
SECTORS & EXPERTISE

Agribusiness & Forestry

Creative Industries

Education

Financial Institutions

Funds

Health

Infrastructure

Manufacturing

Public-Private Partnerships

Tourism, Retail & Property

Trade & Supply Chain Finance

Venture Capital

Working Upstream
Where We Work
Where We Work

As the largest global development institution focused on the private sector, IFC operates in more than 100 countries around the globe. We apply lessons learned in one region to solve problems in another.
Overview
By Region

Africa

East Asia and Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

Middle East and Central Asia

South Asia
Our Impact
Our Impact

Our impact improves lives. IFC brings a clear set of advantages to the world’s most challenging markets. Including a history of innovation, a global mandate, and a determination to achieve measurable development impact.
Our Impact Overview
PRINCIPLES & MEASUREMENT

Impact Investing at IFC

Measuring and Monitoring (AIMM)

Evaluation

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Owned by 186 member countries and consistently rated AAA/Aaa. IFC aims to achieve our mission of promoting development by providing debt and equity to the private sector, through a range of benchmark and bespoke products.

For Partners

For Investors

Get in Touch

Summary of Advisory Services Project Information

Project Number

609448

Primary Business Area

Financial Institutions Group

Disclosure Date

Mar 8, 2026

Country

Albania

Region

Europe

IFC Approval Date

Sep 19, 2025

Status

Active

Estimated Total Budget

$3,224,400.00
(Project budget includes all project-funded activities)

Last Updated Date

Mar 17, 2026

Project Estimated Start Date

Sep 20, 2025

Project Estimated End Date

Dec 31, 2028

Project Description

The IFC project is designed to address the challenges hindering pre-season and post-harvest financing for farmers by utilizing future crops, livestock, and primary processed products as collateral. The program's activities are flexible and may adapt to the political, social, and macroeconomic conditions in the target countries. The project focuses on three main components to increase access to finance. Component 1 involves the policy and regulatory level, where the project will assist countries in finalizing and adopting legislative frameworks for Crop Warehouse Receipts (CWRs). It includes training government officials on law implementation and improving warehouse management practices. The project will also develop IT infrastructure for CWRs, including public registries, and support the creation of a Model Law on Crop Receipts to standardize legal frameworks globally. Component 2 aims to enhance agricultural lending by increasing financial intermediary interest in CWRs. It involves training stakeholders like banks and farmers on using CWRs for financing and providing advisory services to financial institutions to adopt tailored business models and credit policies. This component also promotes Climate Smart Agriculture, helping farmers reduce emissions and increase productivity. Component 3 focuses on public awareness and outreach, educating farmers and creditors on using CWRs and green finance, and adapting financial tools for climate-resilient technologies.

Development Results

The IFC project aims to enhance financial accessibility for MSME farmers in four selected countries—Albania, Kosovo, Azerbaijan, and Georgia—by allowing them to use future crops and stored crops as collateral for working capital finance. This initiative will be supported through technical assistance provided to farmers, farmer associations, financial institutions, and other creditors, including input suppliers, aggregators, storage facilities, and public institutions. The project objectives will be realized through three key components: firstly, by improving the legislative, regulatory, and policy framework for crop receipts, including the digitization of Crop Warehouse Receipts (CWRs) and the development of electronic public registries for CWRs; secondly, by building the capacities of key stakeholders through the development and implementation of business models that leverage CWRs for value chain finance, and by collaborating with financial institutions and industry partners to promote loan proceeds for Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) technology adoption; and thirdly, by conducting public awareness and outreach campaigns to promote CWRs as innovative financial tools for accessing pre-harvest and post-harvest finance, and for the adaptation of climate-resilient agricultural technologies among stakeholders in the targeted countries.

Indicator	Cumulative
Number of female farmers reached (direct and indirect)	0
Number of farmers reached (direct and indirect)	0
Number of workshops, training events, seminars, conferences, etc.	0
Number of training modules and new products developed	null
Number of new financial products designed	null
Number of participants in workshops, training events, seminars, conferences, etc.	null
Number of participants providing feedback on satisfaction	null
Number of participants reporting satisfied or very satisfied with workshops, trainings, seminars, conferences, etc.	null
Number of media appearances	null

E&S Risks / Impacts and Mitigation

Performance Standard	Description and Potential Impact	Mitigation
PS 1. Assessment and Management of Environmental and Social Risks and Impacts	As part of its Due Diligence, and as mandated by IFC's Sustainability Policy, the IFC team will screen this project to assess consistency with IFC's Performance Standards. Performance Standards provisionally considered relevant to the project is PS 1.	IFC's advice will be provided in a manner consistent with the principles of the relevant Performance Standards. The IFC team will assist the client, as the final decision maker, in gaining a good understanding of IFC's Performance Standards.

This Summary of Advisory Services Project Information (ASPI) is prepared by IFC to disclose a factual summary of the main elements of this advisory services project. It may also include findings and recommendations related to environmental and social considerations regarding this project. The purpose of the ASPI is to enhance the transparency of IFC's activities. For any project documentation or data included or attached herein, whether prepared by the project sponsor or otherwise, authorization has been given for public release by the client. IFC considers that this ASPI is of adequate quality for release to the public, but has not necessarily independently verified all of the project information therein.
It is distributed within sixty days of project's approval and may be updated periodically afterwards. Total budget and start dates are estimates only. The following ASPI is disclosed in accordance with IFC's Access to Information Policy (AIP) that went into effect on January 1, 2012.

The map is for illustrative purposes and does not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the World Bank, concerning the legal status of any country or territory or concerning the delimitation of frontiers or boundaries. Country borders or names do not necessarily reflect the World Bank Group's official position. In some cases, available project location information is limited to the country of the project's activities. Locations are approximate.

Projects

Summary of Advisory Services Project Information

Project Description

Development Results

E&S Risks / Impacts and Mitigation

Similar Projects

Projects

Summary of Advisory Services Project Information

Project Description

Development Results

Development Impact / Project Objectives for Public Disclosures

Development Results

E&S Risks / Impacts and Mitigation

E&S Risks / Impacts and Mitigation

Press-Release

Additional Documents

Similar Projects

Disclaimer