Publications
FAO Investment Centre 60 years young 1964–2024
12/2025
The 60-year journey of the FAO Investment Centre tells a remarkable story of technical excellence and trusted partnerships. It also reflects the vision and effort of those who laid its foundations, the dedication of those who worked hard to sustain the Centre over the years, and its ability to adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing world.
Financing opportunities for cocoa processing in Côte d’Ivoire
11/2025
Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s leading producer and processor of cocoa beans. Its processing capacity now surpasses that of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which until recently had held the top position. The government is continuing to encourage investment in local cocoa bean processing, which could account for 70 to 80 percent of national production by 2030. This study examines the prospects for investment in primary cocoa processing and the financing needs this objective entails.
The European Union's Sustainable Cocoa Initiative and Programme
10/2025
The European Union’s Sustainable Cocoa Initiative, implemented by FAO Investment Centre together with partners (JRC, EFI, GIZ), helps governments to build a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable global cocoa value chain in support of the Global Gateway initiative. This effort brings together producing and consuming countries, as well as key stakeholders — including European consumers.
Investing in people for better agrifood jobs
10/2025
The FAO Investment Centre connects these dimensions by ensuring physical and financial investments are matched with investments in people. It integrates human capital and job creation into operations, aligning skills with market demand and connecting growth with inclusion. This work draws on FAO’s technical expertise and data, and the Centre’s investment experience in over 120 countries – aligned with FAO’s Four Betters.
Harnessing Sargassum seaweed in the Caribbean September 2025
10/2025
The European Union has prioritized sargassum within its Global Gateway Strategy for the Caribbean, supporting countries to turn this environmental challenge into an economic opportunity. In 2024, with FAO’s technical support under the Sustainable Agrifood Systems Intelligence (SASI/SASI+) initiative, the EU Delegation in Barbados, together with the Government of Grenada, launched a process to support development of a sustainable sargassum value chain.
Market structure and efficiency in agricultural value chains: Deep dives in El Salvador and the Dominican Republic
10/2025
This report represents a context-specific approach to analyzing market structures and dynamics that may contribute to price distortions in two country-commodity pairs in Central America: white maize in El Salvador, and bananas in the Dominican Republic.
Advancing agrifood systems transformation in Colombia: A participatory bottom-up approach
07/2025
Agrifood systems (AFS) play a key role in Colombia’s economy, employing around 35 percent of the workforce. Colombia has been at the forefront of efforts to transition towards sustainable AFS though participatory processes and evidence-based approaches.
FAO Investment Centre – Annual review 2024
06/2025
FAO, through its Investment Centre, collaborates with countries and a growing network of financing and knowledge partners to provide investment and finance solutions tailored to meet today’s challenges. This edition of the FAO Investment Centre Annual Review looks at the Centre’s achievements in 2024 – including marking 60 years of investment support – and priorities for the coming years.
FAO Investment Centre - 2024 at a glance
06/2025
FAO is intensifying its efforts with financing partners to crowd in public and private investment for a more food-secure, resilient and sustainable future for all.
South Sudan Country Profile
05/2025
The Food Systems Profile provides a summary of the main food system issues in South Sudan and highlights potential solutions for their sustainable and inclusive transformation.
Agrifood systems in the voluntary carbon market: Status and prospects
04/2025
This report constitutes the first global assessment of the agrifood sector in the voluntary carbon market (VCM), which is where carbon credits are issued, bought and sold in the private sector.
Investing in trade digitalization: the case of ePhyto
03/2025
Global trade in plants and plant products is rapidly expanding – more than doubling in some cases – and set to grow another 11 percent by 2032. Yet, many countries still employ mostly manual rather than electronic means for issuing the phytosanitary certificates required to trade goods internationally.
Collective tenure rights and climate action in sub-Saharan Africa. What are priority investments in rights to achieve long-term sustainability of forest areas?
03/2025
The study on collective tenure rights and climate action in sub-Saharan Africa aims to consolidate and analyse the state of the evidence on how tenure arrangements – in particular collective ownership and management of forests operating in complex systems of contingent factors – impact forest condition outcomes, as well as livelihood outcomes of forest dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jordan: A catalogue of agritourism experiences
02/2025
This catalogue is the result of extensive research and dialogues with key stakeholders, and highlights more than 40 unique agritourism experiences across Jordan. It offers a portal for tourists, both inside and outside the country, to engage in a spectrum of agricultural activities and enjoy the country’s local produce.
Understanding commercial urban agriculture - An overview
01/2025
From 2021 through 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, University of Bologna, Wageningen University and Research, University of Liège and others conducted an exhaustive study assessing the state of commercial urban agriculture (CUA) globally, with special focus on countries in which the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) operates.
Digital technologies for agriculture in Türkiye - A review
01/2025
This study reviews the current state of digital technologies in agriculture in Türkiye. Following a brief review of key trends and challenges in the agriculture sector, the study describes the ecosystem for digital transformation and the current technology supplier landscape.
Accessing finance to invest in agrifood - A review of experimental evidence
12/2024
This brief focuses on the impacts of finance access on farmers’ investments and how it can enable investments in farms and businesses. It examines experimental and quasi-experimental evidence around farmers’ and small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) access to finance, the economic impacts of accessing financial services on investments, and the constraints of accessing finance in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs).
Land tenure for Indigenous and Afro-descendant Peoples - An investment for the planet
12/2024
Despite the significant financial commitments made at COP 26 to recognize the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities with customary rights, including Afro-descendants, limited investment has reached local populations to protect, delimit, and title their territories.
FAO-World Bank Cooperative Programme 1964–2024 FAO Investment Centre 60 years young
12/2024
This year, 2024, marks the 60th anniversary of the Cooperative Programme (CP) between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank, a collaboration that has been a cornerstone of efforts to eliminate poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.
Building resilience in urban food logistics systems
11/2024
This report explores the transformative impact of recent global disruptions on urban food logistics. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, it addresses critical challenges such as supply chain resilience, evolving consumer demand, and the need for sustainable infrastructure.