Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture

Name

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture

Legal name

Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture

Website

https://cnfa.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Agricultural Development Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food Security, Agriculture & Nutrition Aid Programs (BPADABAD), International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH)

Keywords

• Agricultural development programs
• Farm service centers
• Trade facilitation services
• Agricultural finance programs
• Donor-funded development

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donor-Funded Development Programs: CNFA designs and implements international development programs funded by governments (USDA, USAID), foundations, and international organizations. Programs focus on agricultural development, trade facilitation, and food security.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CNFA designs and implements donor-funded international agricultural development programs, operating a portfolio of services that include the Farm Service Center (FSC) one-stop shop network, trade and market access facilitation, agricultural finance and investment mobilization, private sector enterprise capacity building, digital agricultural solutions, and food security programs. The organization delivers these offerings through grants and cooperative agreements from governments (USDA, USAID), foundations, and international partners across 50+ countries.

Product overview

CNFA (Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture) is an international agricultural development organization offering a portfolio of programs and services rather than a unified commercial software product. The core offerings include: Farm Service Centers (FSCs) - one-stop shops for agricultural inputs, services, and market connections; digital platforms including M-Lima and M-FARM for market connectivity and information dissemination; and specialized services in trade facilitation, agricultural finance, private sector development, and food security. These programs operate across 50+ countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Farm Service Centers (FSC)
• M-Lima Digital Platform
• M-FARM Platform
• Trade and Markets Services
• Finance and Investment Services
• Inputs, Technologies, and Services
• Private Sector Collaboration
• Food Security Programs
• Digital Agricultural Solutions

Quantifiable outcome

• $3.8M in U.S. agricultural product sales facilitated for 13 companies from 10 states in Azerbaijan
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and historic.

• AGCO Agriculture FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 July 2025AGCO Agriculture Foundation awarded CNFA a $450,000 grant over three years to provide 30 Youth AgriChampions with training and resources to become agents of change for sustainable agri-food systems in the United States. Each cohort of 10 participants receives $45,000 to launch sustainable agri-food systems innovations.
• Ferrero GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic-private partnership through the U.S.-Georgia partnership generating $149 million in hazelnut sales. CNFA facilitates the relationship between Ferrero and Georgian hazelnut producers to improve supply chain quality and commercial sourcing.
• NestlécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole-of-supply-chain approach to quality, safety, and transparency in Nigeria. 24,215 maize and soy stakeholders met Nestlé food safety standards through CNFA's enterprise development support.
• Iowa State UniversitystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for commercial seed industry development in Senegal and Burkina Faso, focusing on improving seed quality and agricultural productivity through research and technical assistance.
• H.J. Heinz CompanyhistoricStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership through a joint venture with H.J. Heinz and the Georgievsk Agro Industrial Company to establish a baby food production plant in the former Soviet Union, producing over 1,700 tons annually.
• CargillhistoricStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership from 1990s post-Cold War reconstruction efforts in the former Soviet Union, part of a network of over 200 U.S. food companies, agribusinesses, and financial institutions.
• ConAgrahistoricStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership from 1990s post-Cold War reconstruction efforts in the former Soviet Union.
• Digital Agriculture Service Providers (Rwanda)strategicTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with digital agriculture service providers to build the M-Lima platform with marketplace dashboards, cooperative management tools, and input ordering platforms.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CARE International: Large global humanitarian and development organization with significant agricultural programming; broader mandate than CNFA but competes for similar donor funding pools.
• Mercy Corps: Global humanitarian organization with substantial food security and market systems programming; broader scope than CNFA but intersects on agri-food development in many of the same fragile-state geographies.

Direct peers

• Chemonics International: Major implementer of USAID-funded economic growth and agriculture programs worldwide; competes with CNFA for the same donor program awards and has similar scale and headquarters footprint.
• ACDI/VOCA: Washington, D.C.-based INGO that designs and implements market-driven agricultural development, trade, and food security programs funded by USAID and USDA — the closest functional peer to CNFA.
• Palladium: Global firm implementing donor-funded programs in agriculture, economic growth, and trade — competes with CNFA for USAID awards and shares a private-sector-led development philosophy.
• Winrock International: Nonprofit implementing agricultural development, economic growth, and food security programs, including Farmer-to-Farmer volunteer programs analogous to CNFA's.
• TechnoServe: Nonprofit that works with enterprising people in the developing world to build competitive farms, businesses, and industries — overlapping with CNFA on private-sector-led agribusiness development.
• AGRA (Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa): Africa-focused agricultural development organization with overlapping mandates on smallholder productivity, input access, and market linkages in geographies where CNFA operates.
• Heifer International: Nonprofit focused on smallholder farmer development and food security; overlaps with CNFA's work on cooperative capacity, market access, and inclusive agricultural value chains.
• DAI (Development Alternatives, Inc.): Global development company implementing donor-funded programs in agriculture, economic growth, and governance — directly comparable in mission, funding sources, and operating geographies to CNFA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cnfa
• Facebookfacebook.com/CNFAGlobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture