Ineke Keers joins AGRI3 Fund as Managing Director
Published: March 2, 2026
AMSTERDAM – The AGRI3 Fund has appointed Ineke Keers as its new Managing Director. Keers brings more than 15 years of international experience in sustainable finance, carbon markets, business development, and scaling mission-driven organisations.
She joins AGRI3 from Smallholder Agroforestry Finance (SAF), where she was Director Investments. At SAF she helped establish a blended finance facility built to support smallholder farmers moving to agroforestry — integrating trees into existing crops to improve livelihoods and climate resilience. By using the Voluntary Carbon Market as a repayment mechanism, the facility set out to unlock inclusive finance, strengthen farmers’ economic resilience, and contribute to climate adaptation and mitigation.
In that role she built relationships with leading development finance institutions and investors, designed financing processes linking agroforestry loans to carbon markets, and stood up a new entity and team from the ground up.
Before SAF, Keers was Head of Business Development at Acorn, where she led the commercialisation of carbon removal credits to major corporates and laid the groundwork for the blended finance structure that became SAF. Earlier, she held strategic and commercial leadership roles at Rabobank in Utrecht and New York, including Head of Business Development for Markets, North America — leading regulatory initiatives and rolling out digital compliance solutions across international sales teams.
Driving AGRI3’s next phase of growth
As Managing Director, Keers will focus on strengthening AGRI3’s financial structuring capabilities, deepening partnerships with public and private financial institutions, and expanding the Fund’s impact across sustainable agri-food systems.
“I am excited to join AGRI3 at such a significant moment,” said Keers. “Sustainable agriculture is central to addressing climate change, biodiversity loss, and food security. With my background in blended finance, I look forward to working with the AGRI3 team and partners worldwide to scale financing solutions that deliver tangible impact for farmers and landscapes.”
Board members of the AGRI3 Fund Management Board — Bob Assenberg (FOUNT) and Joost Zuidberg (Cardano Development) — welcomed the appointment, noting that Keers’ mix of financial expertise, partnership-building, and experience growing mission-driven businesses positions her well to lead the Fund into its next phase.
About AGRI3 Fund
AGRI3 Fund was created by UNEP (the UN Environment Programme) and Rabobank, with partners IDH and FMO (the Dutch Entrepreneurial Bank), to support the transition to sustainable agriculture. Backed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Global Environment Facility through Conservation International, the Fund mobilises public and private capital globally. It provides credit enhancement tools and technical assistance to projects that prevent deforestation, stimulate reforestation, and build efficient, sustainable value chains — while reducing carbon emissions and improving rural livelihoods.
For more information, contact Maria-Pia Kelly — m.kelly@agri3.com