Nuru and Root Capital Convene Climate Week NYC Panel with International Rescue Committee and Trafigura Foundation

For Immediate Release: September 17, 2026

Contact: Casey Harrison | info@iamnuru.org

NEW YORK — Nuru and Root Capital, with the Trafigura Foundation, will convene a panel discussion during Climate Week NYC 2026 focused on one of the most persistent gaps in climate finance: reaching farmers, agricultural businesses, and communities in fragile and conflict-affected regions.

This event, “Financing Climate Resilience in Fragile Regions,” is one of more than 1,000 Climate Week NYC 2026 events taking place across New York City from September 20-27, 2026. Hosted by the Climate Group, this is the world’s largest climate event, drawing over 100,000 people from more than 100 countries to focus on the energy, the impact, and the action that we drive together. 

“Financing Climate Resilience in Fragile Regions,” will take place Wednesday, September 23, from 2–4 p.m. at The New Yorker Hotel in New York City. The discussion will bring together leaders working across agricultural finance, rural development, humanitarian response, food security, and global markets to explore what it takes to invest effectively in regions where climate risk, conflict, and limited infrastructure make traditional financing difficult.

“The challenge is not simply a lack of, or limited, climate finance; it is a mismatch between where capital is made available and where the impact will be greatest. Investing in frontier and fragile communities creates meaningful livelihoods and economic opportunities close to home, while also addressing underlying drivers of migration and insecurity that increasingly affect global economic growth and stability. We need to use catalytic capital and technical assistance to strengthen local agribusinesses and cooperatives in fragile regions, creating the conditions for larger pools of investment to follow.” – Casey Harrison, Nuru CSO

According to research from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and Climate Policy Initiative, less than 1% of global climate finance is directed to small-scale farmers. Even less reaches farmers in fragile regions, despite their significant exposure to climate shocks and the potential for targeted investment, technical assistance, and organizational support to strengthen local economies and food systems.

The discussion will bring together organizations working at different points in the financing and development ecosystem, from direct lending to agricultural businesses and cooperative development to humanitarian response, food security, and connections to global markets. The conversation will focus specifically on hard-to-reach geographies where funding remains constrained, bringing humanitarian, development, investment, and supply-chain perspectives into the same discussion.

Panelists include: Casey Harrison, Chief Sustainability Officer at Nuru; Elizabeth Teague, Senior Director, Climate Resilience at Root Capital; and Tara Clerkin, Director, Climate Resilience Research & Innovation. The panel will be moderated by Felipe Arango, CEO of Fairtrade USA.

“In the regions hit hardest by climate shocks, local agribusinesses and cooperatives are often farmers’ only source of training, inputs, and credit. Over more than 25 years of lending, Root Capital has seen these businesses drive climate-resilient agriculture across entire landscapes when they can access the right capital. Too often, they’re written off as too risky to finance. Affordable, flexible financing lets them build resilience on their own terms, and it’s one of the most direct ways to reach the farmers who need it most.” – Elizabeth Teague, Root Capital, Senior Director of Climate Resilience

Together, the panel will examine the role that small and medium-sized agricultural enterprises and farmer cooperatives can play in connecting rural producers to finance and markets. Panelists will also discuss how technical assistance and patient, concessional, and blended capital can help bridge the gap between investor risk requirements and the realities facing agricultural businesses operating in fragile environments.

The panel event will include a 40-minute moderated panel, 20-minute audience question and answer session, and live digital polling to capture audience perspectives. This will be followed by an additional hour for refreshments and networking. Space for the event is limited. Once the event reaches capacity, additional registrants will be added to a waiting list. Confirm your attendance by clicking here.  

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About Nuru:

Nuru is a global collective that enables inclusive and sustainable prosperity by identifying communities at the stability tipping point, strengthening rural livelihoods and market systems, and fostering stabilizing connections that repair social fabric and pave a pathway to peace. Nuru envisions a world without cycles of unjust poverty, where resilience and hope are cultivated in the most marginalized communities. The Nuru Collective operates through a network of locally-led NGOs in Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Niger, Benin, and Togo, supported by Nuru US as a strategic partner. Learn more by visiting nuruinternational.org.

About Root Capital:

Root Capital is an impact investor that provides financing and business training to agricultural enterprises in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Since 1999, we have loaned over $2.3 billion to more than 900 businesses that are too big for microloans but too small for commercial lenders, and have trained more than twice as many businesses. As these businesses succeed and scale, they become engines of impact for local communities, raising incomes, creating jobs, expanding opportunities for women and young people, preserving nature, and building rural prosperity. Learn more at www.rootcapital.org. 

About Trafigura Foundation:

Established in 2007, the Trafigura Foundation is an independently managed philanthropic entity funded by Trafigura.

As part of its 2023-2027 strategy, the Foundation focuses on investing in solutions for communities and ecosystems most affected by climate change. It prioritises climate adaptation efforts, recognising that floods, heatwaves, water scarcity, and crop loss disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.

The Foundation partners with experienced non-profit organisations to implement programmes centred around three areas of work: sustainable livelihoods, thriving nature, and prepared communities. To find out more, visit www.trafigurafoundation.org.