Searching: Research & Analysis

Enhancing Food Security through Finance-Enabled Food Systems Transformation

This working paper examines how inclusive finance can address today's evolving food security challenges by unlocking targeted investments in high-impact agricultural value chains that best promote nutritional, sustainability, and livelihood outcomes through agricultural technology (AgTech) adoption.

How Can We Improve Resilience Globally? Leading Experts Weigh In

In June 2025, CGAP convened nearly 200 global decisionmakers in Amsterdam involved in global resilience responses for a Symposium titled, “Rethinking Resilience: Why Inclusive Finance Can’t Wait”. In this bonus episode of Inclusive Finance Frontiers, hear from participants interviewed on the sidelines of the Symposium on how inclusive finance tools—such as savings, credit, insurance, and digital payments—can strengthen resilience for those most at risk and drive sustainable development.

Inclusive Insurance: Scaling for Resilience and Impact

Insurance builds resilience by helping people manage shocks and invest confidently in their futures. Yet, inclusive insurance remains small-scale due to barriers in demand, supply, and policy. This deck explores challenges and opportunities—showing how funders can unlock insurance’s full potential as a catalyst for stability, security, and economic growth.

Resilience for All: Why Inclusive Finance Can't Wait

The world faces urgent challenges as risks intensify and interconnect, amplifying vulnerabilities, especially for low-income populations and small and medium enterprises (MSEs). If left unaddressed, these vulnerabilities can create ripple effects with national, regional, and global consequences. This paper highlights the importance of inclusive finance as an indispensable component of resilience responses, and calls on everyone working on increasing resilience to leverage inclusive finance to enhance the reach, speed, and impact of their work.

Strengthening Financial Systems for Climate Adaptation

As climate-related shocks become more frequent, communities need access to finance that helps them cope with and recover from damage and loss, yet current efforts to strengthen financial systems’ resilience often overlook the importance of inclusion. This paper outlines how governments and funders can foster inclusive financial systems that enhance climate adaptation and resilience.

Six Big Ideas: How Financial Services Can Improve Social Protection Delivery

Cash transfers are among the most effective tools for social protection but delivering them in fragile contexts remains a major challenge due to interruptions in financial sector development efforts, limited government capacity, and difficulties reaching remote communities. This paper presents ways that social protection funders can invest to achieve outcomes for both programs and recipients.

Building Climate Resilience at Scale in the Sahel

Already reaching over half the world’s population, social protection systems present an untapped opportunity to channel climate funds to help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change, enhancing the reach, efficiency, and impact of climate finance.

G20 Policy Options for Financial Inclusion at the Last Mile

Despite gains in financial inclusion, several populations at the "last mile" remain excluded. This Note, prepared by CGAP, the World Bank, and the Better than Cash Alliance for GPFI, provides a framework for the necessary public infrastructure and regulatory enablers to reduce the barriers commonly faced by these last mile segments and emphasizes the need for more targeted policies and investments to address non-financial barriers.

Trust in Transition: Afghanistan’s Hawala System in Crisis and Recovery

Afghanistan’s hawala system plays a critical and evolving role in the country’s financial ecosystem. Since August 2021 its role has only expanded as trust in the banking system faltered. Although hawala faces local competition and international skepticism due to transparency concerns, it remains a vital financial tool. The paper suggests that stakeholders should deepen engagement with hawala networks, support their regulation and formalization, and explore innovative partnerships to advance financial inclusion.

From Crisis to Resilience: The Role of Inclusive Finance in Fragile Countries

Inclusive finance can bolster resilience and unlock opportunities for low-income people in fragile countries. CGAP identifies three levers of change for funders: leveraging humanitarian cash transfers, understanding informal financial services, and improving local market facilitation.