The Strengthening African Rural Smallholders (STARS) program was an $18 million, five-year initiative (2016-2021) implemented by ICCO (now part of Cordaid) in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and ICCO Terrafina to increase access to finance and markets for smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. STARS was implemented in four countries—Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Senegal—to develop and test a range of products and services for improving the production, income and resilience of farmers.

Authors: Myka Reinsch, Jean de Dieu Umutomi and El Hadji Niasse, Ayani Inclusive Finance Sector Consultants