Strategic Investment Planning and Policy
Transforming the world’s agrifood systems calls for greater public and private investment shaped by strategic and innovative thinking. It calls for good analysis, a shared vision and sound policies.
Linking conducive policies with sizeable investments is one of the best ways to achieve impact at scale. The FAO Investment Centre works with countries and partners to develop agricultural investment strategies and plans, including through FAO’s flagship Hand-in-Hand initiative.
The Centre leads and contributes to policy, analytical and sector studies to improve the quality and quantity of agrifood investments. And it brings together public and private sector stakeholders – including producer organizations, governments, financing partners and others – to discuss policy issues and resolve bottlenecks along supply chains.
In 2023 alone, the Centre contributed to 40 agricultural strategies, 49 sector studies, 15 policy studies and 16 policy dialogues in 67 countries.
Initiatives
Latest stories
Directions in Investment
Soil health and fertilizer: Policy and investment prospects in sub-Saharan Africa
17/06/2026
A new technical report – Soil health and fertilizer: Policy and investment prospects in sub-Saharan Africa – highlights the urgent need for a more...
Five Years and Five Levers to Roll Back Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana
05/05/2026
A regional workshop brought together key stakeholders involved in combating the Cocoa Swollen Shoot Virus Disease (CSSVD) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire,...
New book traces the FAO Investment Centre’s evolution over its first 60 years
19/12/2025
For over six decades, the FAO Investment Centre has helped countries invest in agrifood systems to reduce hunger, poverty and malnutrition and advance...
How Investment in the Lobito Corridor Could Boost Zambia’s Agrifood Value Chains and Inclusive Prosperity
18/12/2025
An analysis of key value chains along the Lobito Corridor in Zambia showed that soybeans, cassava and horticulture are among the most promising value...
Latest publications
Comparative study on the distribution of value in European chocolate chains - Executive summary
05/2024
The low level of income of most small cocoa farmers, especially in Western Africa, has been a growing issue in the cocoa sector for the past three decades, furthermore, ensuring a living income for small cocoa farmers has become a pressing issue across producing countries.
Priority areas for irrigation investments in Belize
03/2024
The main focus of this report is on climate-resilient irrigation and drainage (I&D) investments, with the aim to improve agricultural production and productivity in Belize. To achieve this task, FAO has developed an innovative methodology based on the preparation of a multi-criteria framework.
Pathways to profit: Experimental evidence on agricultural technology adoption
10/2023
This brief focuses on the profitability of adopting technology for farmers and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and examines the financial sustainability of these investments over time. The evidence presented here can help researchers and policymakers better understand farmer characteristics and favourable conditions for technology adoption, identify constraints inhibiting adoption, and draw lessons to replicate or scale successful policies around technology adoption in agriculture.
Sustainable agricultural mechanization in China: A comprehensive review
04/2023
This publication strives to comprehensively and systematically summarize the status and strategies of China's agricultural mechanization development, its impacts, experiences and practices, and business models. Furthermore, the publication investigates the related investment and policy recommendations to reach the goal of agricultural and rural modernization by 2035, to drive smallholder farmers to enter modern agriculture, and to achieve sustainable development.
Conservation agriculture in China: Innovations, investment opportunities and challenges
04/2023
This publication focuses on the development path, opportunities and challenges, development suggestions, technology and equipment, experiences, case studies and future scenarios for CA in China aiming to support the extension and adoption of CA in China and globally.