The FAO Investment Centre has launched a toolkit aimed at empowering farmers and enabling agricultural human capital investments. More than 60 representatives from governments, national and international development banks, the private sector and development partners attended the virtual launch event in October 2023.

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today, which recognizes the critical role that investment in rural infrastructure, natural resources management and climate resilience plays in transforming agrifood systems. 

A 3-day training course helped strengthen capacity for phytosanitary control and wireless sensor technologies in grain storage as part of broader efforts to reduce loss in the supply chain of one of Egypt’s most important food staples.

The FAO Investment Centre participated in the annual African Agri Investment Indaba conference in South Africa in November – an event that brought together more than 600 representatives from the public and private sectors to discuss key trends, opportunities and challenges in agrifood investing across Africa.

Understanding how to use data, analytical evidence and multistakeholder processes is key to transforming food systems towards greater sustainability and inclusiveness. Today, a vast amount of analytical data and evidence are available, but they tend to be used in isolation, and are not always available to all stakeholders.

Une certification reconnue à l’échelle internationale en matière de qualité des aliments en vue d’accroître les revenus des producteurs locaux d’huile d’olive

Since 2013, the Tunisian Government has been working to unlock the potential of its quality olive oil through a cooperation programme with the EBRD and FAO. A combination of agrifood investments, innovative marketing, and capacity-strengthening activities across the value chain seek to stimulate a transition from mass production to bottled oils.

The world’s agrifood systems need to become greener, more efficient and more resilient to climate change. Transforming them by 2030 calls for around USD 300 to 350 billion in new investments annually. Innovative finance could help, according to experts in a panel at the Science and Innovation Forum - a hybrid event joined by over 200 attendees -  and part of the week-long World Food Forum 2023 in Rome in October.

On a five-day tour from 18-24 October, twelve Jordanian delegates travelled to different Italian regions to explore how to best connect local agricultural production to tourism. The tour was part of an EBRD/FAO project to promote rural development and diversify farmers’ incomes in Jordan.

Innovative financial solutions aimed at reshaping sustainable agrifood systems and closing funding gaps took centre stage during a discussion session organized by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Investment Centre at the UNCTAD 8th World Investment Forum 2023 (WIF).

 A delegation of around twenty fruit and vegetable importers from Central and Eastern Europe visited Morocco in October 2023, with the mission to uncover burgeoning trade opportunities and foster new business prospects with Moroccan agrifood operators.

Understanding how to use data, analytical evidence and multistakeholder processes is key to transforming food systems towards greater sustainability and inclusiveness. Today, a vast amount of analytical data and evidence are available, but they tend to be used in isolation, and are not always available to all stakeholders.

Earlier this year, the World Bank approved a second and third phase of its multiphase food systems resilience programme for Eastern and Southern Africa, known by its acronym FSRP. The FAO Investment Centre contributed substantially to the appraisal and design of both new phases – a USD 300 million Phase 2 for Tanzania and a USD 621 million Phase 3 covering Comoros, Kenya, Malawi, Somalia and the African Union.

How can young disruptive thinkers gain access to the resources they need to test their ideas in real market conditions and potentially bring them to scale? The answer explored in this dynamic EBRD/FAO event held as part of the World Food Forum/Global Youth 2023 is to partner with large agrifood companies who are opening their doors to fresh ideas that are environmentally sustainable, and economically and socially inclusive.

Following a three-year project to help position Egyptian horticultural products on the global stage through improved compliance with international food safety standards, the EBRD and FAO met with project stakeholders across the value chain in Cairo to present achievements, reflect on lessons learned and plan next steps.

Innovative digital solutions, like geospatial data, remote sensing and IOT (internet of things) provide real-time monitoring and data analysis for better decision-making around agricultural water use.  

The European Investment Bank (EIB) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have joined forces to further strengthen their commitment to sustainable agriculture programmes in sub-Saharan Africa. The first agreement between the two institutions was acknowledged last Friday at FAO headquarters in Rome when FAO’s Director-General QU Dongyu and EIB’s Vice-president Gelsomina Vigliotti met on the sidelines of the World Food Forum.

Transforming the world’s agrifood systems to be greener, fairer, more sustainable and regenerative calls for billions of dollars in new investments. Public funding alone is not enough, especially amid current government belt-tightening.

Food security, sustainability and the ability to adapt to a changing climate are top priorities for Latin America and the Caribbean. One way to support the region’s countries in achieving these goals is by scaling up agrifood investments that promote inclusive economic growth, better diets and nutrition and a healthier planet.

The 2023 World Food Day is setting the stage for essential dialogues on water as the backbone of food security and sustainable development. Convening at FAO headquarters, the event emphasizes that water, accounting for 72 percent of global freshwater withdrawals for agriculture, is a finite yet vital resource.