Montreal (Quebec), 16 September 2026 – The Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development), announced a USD 40 million loan on behalf of Canada’s bilateral development finance institution, FinDev Canada, to Robust International Pte. Ltd. ("Robust”), a vertically-integrated agribusiness company based in Singapore, and specializing in sesame, cashew, and soybean. The financing aims to strengthen agricultural supply chains in Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Africa.
FinDev Canada’s commitment will enable Robust to expand local procurement capacity, reinforcing linkages between farmers and markets across Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Togo, and Tanzania. With more reliable demand, farmers will become more empowered to invest in productivity and crop quality.
Climate change is impacting agricultural systems across Africa, where rising temperatures, varied rainfall, and more frequent droughts and floods threaten farming communities and food security. As agriculture in the region is mostly rain-fed, farmers are vulnerable to climate shocks. As a result, Robust is strengthening climate-resilient agriculture at the farm level by adding extension support for rural suppliers and promoting sustainable farming practices, such as erosion control, water conservation, drought-tolerant crops, soil regeneration, and improved post-harvest management.
Robust advances gender equality across its operations by increasing women’s participation in its agricultural supply chains in LDCs, including by working with women-owned aggregators. This commitment is 2X-aligned as it promotes inclusive supply chains and employment opportunities for women.
FinDev Canada’s financing aligns with Canada’s Africa Strategy by supporting investment opportunities that build more resilient supply chains and promote economic development.
“This financing with Robust will contribute to growing FinDev Canada’s agribusiness portfolio, while expanding access to markets and extension services for farmers in Africa. Through our combined efforts, we can accelerate economic development and climate action where it is needed most,” said Paulo Martelli, VP and CIO, FinDev Canada.
"Women’s participation is essential to building strong climate-resilient supply chains that promote sustainable economic growth and global stability. Canada is helping strengthen agricultural supply chains across Africa, expand market opportunities for farmers, and support climate-resilient agricultural practices through FinDev Canada’s investment in Robust International. Investments like this contribute to more resilient and diversified global supply chains, which benefit communities around the world, including Canadians,” said the Honourable Randeep Sarai, Secretary of State (International Development).
“We are pleased to partner with FinDev Canada on this important financing. It will enable Robust to deepen its procurement networks across Africa, provide farmers with more reliable access to markets, and expand support for climate-resilient agricultural practices. We are particularly committed to increasing women’s participation across our supply chains and ensuring that our continued growth delivers meaningful and inclusive economic benefits in the countries where we operate,” said Vishanth Narayan, Group Executive Director, Robust International.
About FinDev Canada
FinDev Canada is a development finance institution that invests in emerging markets to deliver development impact, financial returns, and shared economic prosperity. We provide debt, equity, blended finance, technical assistance, and advisory across infrastructure, agribusiness, and the financial industry in developing economies—to support development through the private sector. Find out more about FinDev Canada at www.findevcanada.ca.
About Robust International Pte. Ltd.
Robust International is a Singapore-headquartered, vertically integrated agribusiness group engaged in the sourcing, processing and trading of agricultural commodities. The Group operates across approximately 13 African countries and supplies customers in more than 25 countries globally, supported by an extensive network of sourcing, processing and logistics operations across Africa. Robust works closely with farmers, aggregators and other local partners to connect African agricultural production with global markets while promoting stronger, more resilient and inclusive supply chains.
Media Contact
FinDev Canada: Media@findevcanada.ca