Bradesco, one of Latin America’s largest financial institutions, has disbursed over R$1 billion (approximately USD$197 million) in digital credit through its E-agro platform, built on FICO® Platform, reaching more than 500,000 farmers in Brazil within its first year of operation.Launched in 2023, the E-agro digital marketplace aims to simplify access to rural credit, products, and services for Brazilian farmers. The platform, which utilizes FICO’s advanced decisioning capabilities, has reduced contract lead times by 70% and automated over 2,000 complex credit transactions. For these efforts, Bradesco’s E-agro recently won the ESG Champion category in the 2025 FICO® Decision Awards.Brazilian agribusiness is a critical component of the global food supply, contributing significantly to feeding an estimated 10% of the world’s population. Historically, accessing rural credit involved extensive in-person visits to bank branches, notaries, and multiple institutions, creating a time-consuming and inefficient process for farmers.E-agro addresses these traditional barriers by digitizing the entire credit application and disbursement journey. Farmers can now check eligibility in real-time, receive tailored offers based on behavioral and agronomic data, submit socio-environmental documentation online, and digitally sign contracts from their mobile devices or desktops. Upon approval, funds are disbursed immediately into the client’s account, eliminating physical visits and reducing the process from dozens of steps to eight.Nadege Saad, head of agribusiness at E-agro, stated, “Farmers play a very important role in Brazil’s economy, and technology is key to supporting their growth. With FICO, we’ve built a digital offering that makes credit more accessible, approvals faster, and sustainable practices more viable. This is more than a financial innovation; it’s also a social and environmental one. By linking better credit access to sustainable practices, we’re not only protecting natural resources — we’re improving livelihoods and strengthening rural communities.”Bradesco’s commitment extends beyond E-agro to initiatives like the ILPF (Integrated Crop-Livestock-Forestry) Network, a regenerative agriculture model. Through partnerships such as the Sustainable Agriculture Finance Facility (SAFF), Bradesco provides lower-cost credit to farmers adopting ILPF practices.Nikhil Behl, president, software at FICO, commented, “Bradesco is bringing new thinking and technology to banking in agribusiness. By using advanced decisioning to empower farmers and protect the environment, they’re creating lasting economic and ecological value.” Allan Tan, group editor-in-chief at Cxociety and a FICO Decision Awards judge, added, “Bradesco’s E-agro platform stood out to the judging panel as a powerful example of how digital innovation and environmental responsibility can go hand in hand. It’s rare to see such a clear fusion of ESG commitment with operational transformation.”