As part of its commitment to building more inclusive, resilient, and productive agrifood systems, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) invites public and private investors to explore high-impact investment opportunities across Southern African countries within SADC and the African Small Island Developing States (SIDS) under the FAO Hand-in-Hand Initiative.

These regional initiatives will be spotlighted during the upcoming Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum 2025, offering concrete entry points for co-investment in scalable, climate-smart, and socially inclusive agrifood systems solutions.

Why Invest in These Regional Initiatives?

Both regional frameworks were co-designed with national governments and key regional bodies—including SADC and the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC)—through deep territorial diagnostics and data-driven prioritization.

🔹 Southern Africa: Unlocking Regional Agrifood Markets

FAO, in collaboration with SADC, has identified four investment areas with transformative potential for food security, job creation, and trade integration:

• Climate-smart irrigation to boost productivity and reduce climate vulnerability

• Sustainable mechanization to improve efficiency and reduce labor bottlenecks

• Agro- processing to strengthen value chains and reduce post-harvest losses

• Regional trade to scale market access and cross-border integration

➡️ Explore opportunities: Southern Africa Investment Cases

🔹 African SIDS: From Isolation to Integration

Through the African SIDS Regional Initiative, FAO is supporting Cabo Verde, Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritius, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Seychelles to overcome geographic and economic isolation. A first phase of this Regional Hand-in-Hand Initiative will involve the Indiand Ocean Commission (IOC) Members States including Comoros, Mauritius, seychelles, but also France/Reunion and Madagascar. 

• Developing interconnected, resilient value chains

• Supporting sustainable development of blue economy

• Strengthening infrastructure and trade to link national markets with regional and global buyers

➡️ Discover the potential: African SIDS Investment Cases

What is in it for Investors?

By participating in these regional efforts, investors gain access to:

• Pre-vetted, bankable investment cases aligned with regional bodies and national priorities

• Reliable geospatial and market data, including FAO Hand-in-Hand platform with over 2 million data layers

• Partnership platforms involving governments, development banks, and regional economic communities

• Long-term impact and visibility, contributing to food systems transformation and climate resilience

Join Us at the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum 2025

📍 10–12 September 2025 – Harare, Zimbabwe (Southern African subregional sessions)
📍 14–17 October 2025 – Rome, Italy (Global Hand-in Hand Investment Forum)

This is a unique opportunity to connect with national leaders, development partners, technical experts, and agripreneurs from across the region—and to be part of shaping the future of food systems on the continent.

➡️ Visit the page : https://www.fao.org/hand-in-hand/hih-investment-forum-2025/en