Innovation and Knowledge for Investment (IK4I)
The Investment Centre provides a strong evidence-based voice on investment and finance solutions through its Innovation and Knowledge for Investment (IK4I) work.
By harnessing FAO’s technical expertise and leveraging partnerships with key financing and research institutions, the Centre fills critical knowledge gaps. It also shares the latest thinking and practical tools to support investment.
The growing body of investment knowledge products covers a wide range of topics – from scaling up agrifood investments for and by youth in Africa, to decarbonizing agrifood systems, among many others.
Latest stories
What to expect from impact funds investing in agrifood systems across low- and middle-income countries?
10/10/2026
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People, animals, plants, ecosystems - making the case for investing in One Health
25/08/2026
Making economic and financial sense of bioinput investments in Latin America and the Caribbean
14/07/2026
Interest in bioinputs gained traction in Latin America and the Caribbean several years ago, following the onset of the war in Ukraine and the resulting rising food and fertilizer prices. And it has picked up again amid the current standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital sea passage that moves between 20 and 30 percent of globally traded fertilizers. Much is known about the benefits of bioinputs. They can improve soil health and enhance ecosystem sustainability. They are also less harmful to human health and the environment.
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Sustainability-linked loans and the transition to more sustainable agrifood systems
02/06/2026
Agrifood systems are under growing pressure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, protect biodiversity, improve water stewardship and ensure more sustainable production practices. Financial institutions are increasingly expected to support this transition by integrating sustainability considerations into lending decisions.
Latest publications
Directions in Investment
Investing in trade digitalization: the case of ePhyto
03/2025
This report examines how the ePhyto solution can facilitate the export trade of four countries where the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development...
Directions in Investment
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...
Country Investment Highlights
Digital technologies for agriculture in Türkiye: A review
01/2025
Available in Turkish. This study reviews the current state of digital technologies in agriculture in Türkiye. Following a brief review of key trends...
Investment Briefs
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...
Directions in Investment
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...
Directions in Investment
Towards a new generation of climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure: Conceptual framework and analytical review
11/2024
This report aims to shed light on the need for greater and smarter investments in AFS infrastructure, and how they can contribute to global economic,...
Supporting development finance institutions financing private agrifood investments
11/2024
The Investment Centre acts as a bridge between countries and financing partners to create the enabling conditions for greater public and private investment...
Annual Reviews
FAO Investment Centre - 2023 at a glance
07/2024
FAO, through its Investment Centre, works with partners to provide tailored, scalable investment and finance solutions to help countries achieve better,...
Annual Reviews
FAO Investment Centre - Annual Review 2023
07/2024
The world’s agrifood systems need to become greener, healthier, more inclusive and more resilient. Investment is critical to that transition. FAO, through...
Investment Toolkits
Understanding microfinance interest rates in agrifood
07/2024
Interest rates have been a contentious issue in microfinance for many years. While higher interest rates for microloans are often justified by the underlying...
Directions in Investment
Bioinputs: Investment opportunities in Latin America
05/2024
Available in Portuguese and Spanish. Bioinputs are a vital element in the agroecological transitions and represent the entry point of production systems...
Country Investment Highlights
Can smallholder farmers in Honduras and Guatemala export deforestation-free coffee to the European Union?
05/2024
The new EU Regulation for Deforestation-Free Imports (EUDR) stipulates that by 2025, certain commodities may only be imported to the European Union...