The Italian Banking Association (ABI) has formally brought major agricultural trade associations into its Fondazione Mario Ravà, a move that signals a strategic pivot in how Italy's financial sector plans to support the future of the nation's farms—not merely as a lending exercise, but as a safeguard for food security and climate resilience.
Why This Matters
• New governance model: Agriculture trade groups now sit alongside bankers and agronomists in the Fondazione Mario Ravà, creating a permanent platform for policy proposals and credit reform.
• Research on climate risk: ABI has presented a dedicated research paper on natural risk management in agriculture, laying out proposals to facilitate climate adaptation and support enterprises affected by adverse weather.
• Strategic infrastructure: Italian banks are increasingly treating agriculture as critical infrastructure rather than simply a lending sector.
Banking Sector Redefines Agriculture as Strategic Infrastructure
Speaking at the Fondazione Mario Ravà Convention 2026 in Rome, Marco Elio Rottigni—Director General of ABI and president of the foundation—framed agriculture as far more than a commercial sector. "Agriculture is not just business," Rottigni said. "It is an essential bulwark of food security, geopolitical resilience, territorial balance, and social and environmental sustainability."
The convention brought together lenders, farm enterprises, and sector specialists to develop concrete financing solutions for growth, innovation, and sustainability. The Fondazione Mario Ravà—originally established in 1958 to promote agricultural credit research—is now jointly managed by ABI, the National Council of Doctors in Agronomy and Forestry (CONAF), and the Italian Federation of Doctors in Agricultural and Forestry Sciences (FIDAF).
Rottigni announced that main agricultural business representation associations will formally enter the foundation's governance structure, creating "a stable space for dialogue and collaboration between the credit world and agriculture." This institutional alignment is intended to modernize outdated financing instruments and develop new tools for managing credit risk in a sector characterized by long production cycles, complex value chains, and escalating exposure to climate volatility.
Climate Risk and Financial Reality
The research paper on natural risk management presented at the convention reflects growing recognition among Italy's banking sector that climate volatility is a core credit risk variable. The document proposes pathways for climate adaptation financing and financial support for enterprises affected by adverse meteorological events.
Major lenders increasingly integrate climate and environmental factors into credit assessment. Intesa Sanpaolo has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, integrating ESG factors into credit frameworks. UniCredit and Banco BPM have similarly embedded sustainability and climate considerations into their agricultural lending strategies.
What This Means for Farmers
The inclusion of agricultural trade associations in the Fondazione Mario Ravà formalizes dialogue between farmers, agronomists, and bankers. This governance structure creates a direct channel for sector voices to shape credit policy and product design, potentially reducing friction between lenders and borrowers.
For farm operators and agrifood enterprises in Italy, the implications include more structured access to capital, clearer pathways to green finance and technology investment, and formalized representation in credit policy discussions. ABI has identified persistent gaps in how banks and small agricultural enterprises understand each other's constraints—long production cycles, technological innovation pressures, and climate risks—and this new framework aims to address them.
The Fondazione Mario Ravà has outlined strategic priorities including modernizing agricultural credit regulations, promoting agritech adoption, optimizing access to public incentives, developing tailored credit risk management tools, improving financial communication between banks and farm businesses, and supporting young farmers in generational succession.
Strategic Alignment
Institutional partnerships are supporting this shift. In 2024, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP), and Intesa Sanpaolo signed an agreement to support Italian agriculture. ABI and Confagricoltura are advancing joint proposals for improved credit assessment tools and sector-specific rating systems.
Rottigni emphasized that Italian banks recognize their "fundamental role in ensuring Italian agriculture maintains its European leadership" in a sector where Italy ranks first in the EU by agricultural value added and third by production volume.
