“During one of my missions in Ethiopia, I met smallholder farmers who had lost nearly half of their annual income in a short period. Because they were not aware of agricultural risks, they all produced the same crop (onions), at the same time. As a result, market prices did not even cover production costs. Conversely, during that same mission, I was fortunate to meet other farmers who had received training on Agricultural Risk Management (ARM) from the Platform for Agricultural Risk Management (PARM) and had diversified their production. Their revenues enabled them to access credit and increase their income, which even allowed them to purchase a camel to use as a means of transportation.”
This powerful and moving experience was shared by Massimo Giovanola during his interview with Le Figaro, illustrating the critical importance of agricultural risk management in improving the livelihoods of smallholder farmers. Invited as a guest on Réussites d’Entreprises, a programme broadcast on Le Figaro, Massimo Giovanola, PARM’s Manager, highlighted the Platform’s key achievements to date and unveiled its vision for the next phase: Horizon 3 (2026–2030).
Showcasing the success stories of leading initiatives, Réussites d’Entreprises offered PARM an ideal opportunity to demonstrate how it is helping countries move from a reactive approach to shocks toward proactive and integrated agricultural risk management. In a context marked by recurring climate shocks, growing market volatility, and multiple systemic risks, PARM is emerging as a global partnership committed to building sustainable and resilient food systems through climate-smart solutions and better risk management.
With a methodology structured on three pillars: (i) integrated and holistic risk analysis; (ii) identification of tools aimed at developing medium and long-term investment plans; and (iii) capacity development, PARM’s approach addresses the needs of smallholder farmers while de-risking investments.
Among the 3,200 people trained through PARM’s capacity development workshops, 66% of whom are women, many have already demonstrated significant improvements in their farming practices, including diversifying crops, utilizing smart irrigation systems, and adopting agricultural insurance, among others. These changes have increased their incomes and strengthened their overall resilience.
As PARM develops its Horizon 3 (2026–2030), the Platform is building on the results of its first two phases to scale up de-risked investments and institutionalize PARM’s approach worldwide, fostering sustainable agriculture, ensuring food security, and accelerating progress toward SDG 2: “Zero Hunger”.
Watch to the full interview: https://www.lefigaro.fr/economie/parm-la-boussole-du-risque-agricole-qui-securise-l-investissement-et-cree-de-la-valeur-locale-au-service-de-la-securite-alimentaire-20251114
