Capacity Needs Assessment (CNA)
Assessing the Capacity Needs of Farmers and Agribusinesses to Access Financing for Sustainable Agricultural Investments in the EU Eastern Partnership Countries
As part of its work on Green Finance, the OECD has completed a study on Assessing Capacity Needs of Farmers and Agribusiness Enterprises in the European Union Eastern Partnership Countries. The goal of the Capacity Need Assessment (CNA) was to examine the challenges and opportunities farmers and agribusiness enterprises face in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine in terms of accessing finance for sustainable agricultural development, with a particular focus on climate-resilient investments.
In line with the goal, the main objectives of the study were to:
- Assess the financial knowledge and literacy levels of small farmers and agribusinesses in the five Eastern Partnership countries;
- Identify gaps preventing these target groups from accessing finance for climate-resilient investments; and
- Provide a basis for developing targeted capacity building programmes for these groups.
The target group of the study includes small and medium-sized farm and agribusiness enterprises, both men and women, new entrants and experienced operators, as well as representatives of financial institutions in each of the countries. The information for the analysis was collected through in-depth interviews and Focus Group discussions held in the countries.
Despite differences in country contexts and the varying scope of issues explored in each assessment, farmers and agri-entrepreneurs across all countries report broadly similar types of constraints that limit their ability to access finance, adopt climate-resilient practices, and expand their agricultural activities.
Across all five countries, farmers express strong interest in capacity-building initiatives, particularly those that are practical, hands-on, and tailored to their specific sector and region. Farmers consistently emphasised the importance of learning through demonstration farms, peer exchange, and applied workshops rather than theoretical training. They also highlight the need for support with bookkeeping, budgeting, project proposal preparation, and understanding climate-smart technologies.
The findings and conclusions emerging from the analysis carried out as part of the country-level Capacity Need Assessments will be used as a basis to design targeted training programmes in the five countries. The capacity building activities will be tailored to the specific contexts of each of the countries and will aim to meet the needs of target beneficiaries.
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