News facts
The CTCN is seeking experts to participate in the upcoming solicitation to provide technical assistance on:
Blockchain-based Parametric Agricultural Insurance for Resilient Agriculture in Burundi
Deadline: 11 May 2026
Burundi is among the most climate-vulnerable countries globally, with an economy heavily dependent on agriculture. The sector contributes around 30% of GDP and employs nearly 90% of the labor force, most of whom are smallholder farmers relying on rain-fed subsistence farming. Increasing climate variability, including recurrent droughts, floods, and shifting rainfall patterns, poses significant risks to agricultural productivity, food security, and rural livelihoods.
Despite the availability of climate-smart agricultural technologies, adoption remains limited due to the lack of financial protection against climate risks. Burundi currently has no formal agricultural insurance system, leaving farmers and financial institutions exposed to climate-related losses. This high-risk environment constrains access to credit and limits investment in resilient agricultural practices.
Through the CTCN, Burundi aims to develop an integrated financial solution to reduce climate risk and unlock investment in climate-smart agriculture. The technical assistance will support the design of a parametric agricultural insurance product, potentially leveraging blockchain technology, to enable rapid payouts when predefined climate thresholds, such as rainfall deficits or extreme weather events, are reached.
In parallel, the initiative will support the development of a complementary Credit Guarantee Scheme (CGS) to further de-risk agricultural lending. The assistance will include technical design, a regulatory and institutional roadmap, and a pilot implementation strategy, developed in close collaboration with key national stakeholders to ensure scalability and long-term sustainability.
Expected outcomes include:
- Design of a parametric agricultural insurance product providing rapid, climate-triggered payouts
- Development of a complementary Credit Guarantee Scheme to support agricultural lending
- Regulatory and institutional roadmap for implementation and scaling
- Pilot implementation strategy developed in coordination with national stakeholders
The technical assistance is expected to enable the pilot deployment of an integrated insurance and credit guarantee mechanism, improving access to finance and financial protection for approximately 5,000 smallholder farmers, while strengthening the resilience of Burundi’s agricultural sector.
The CTCN invites qualified experts and firms to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) to participate in this initiative. For further information, visit the UN Global Marketplace (UNGM) or the UN website.