12 December 2013, Rome/Dar-es-Salaam/Dodoma — Why is financial inclusion necessary for agricultural development and what does it involve? In order to address those questions Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, along with senior officials of the three food agencies of the United Nations traveled to Ethiopia and Tanzania this week. Queen Máxima led the delegation in her capacity as UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development (UNSGSA). Together the group met with senior officials from government and financial organizations to discuss how expanding access to financial services - such as bank accounts, short-term credit, small loans, savings and insurance- can help farmers manage irregular cash flows and respond to external shocks such as droughts and floods, invest in capital to improve their productivity, reach markets, and access insurance to mitigate risks of crop loss.