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
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 sustainable development.
A new publication, “The FAO Investment Centre, 60 Years Young, 1964–2024”, traces the Centre’s evolution over its first 60 years.
The potential of bioinputs for greener agrifood systems in Latin America and the Caribbean
17/06/2025
The Centre published Bioinputs: investment opportunities in Latin America. The report, part of FAO’s IK4I series, examines the economic viability, investment potential and social and environmental benefits of agricultural bioinputs in the region Agricultural bioinputs – products from plants, animals or microbes – are often used as supplements or natural alternatives to more synthetic agrochemicals.
Urban agriculture is experiencing a growth spurt
22/01/2025
Feeding our cities: How the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the movement of food in urban areas
02/12/2024
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way food is moved, sold and bought in urban areas worldwide – creating some new trends and accelerating others.
Latest publications
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...
Investment Toolkits
Social analysis for inclusive agrifood investments: Field guide
12/2023
The FAO Investment Centre has updated the Social Analysis guides to address the evolving and volatile rural transformation context, providing programme...
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Investment Toolkits
Social analysis for inclusive agrifood investments: Manager's guide
12/2023
The FAO Investment Centre has updated the Social Analysis guides to address the evolving and volatile rural transformation context, providing programme...
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Investment Toolkits
Social analysis for inclusive agrifood investments: Practitioner's guide
12/2023
The FAO Investment Centre has updated the Social Analysis guides to address the evolving and volatile rural transformation context, providing programme...
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Country Investment Highlights
Climate-smart policies to enhance Egypt's agrifood system performance and sustainability
11/2023
Having tested climate smart agriculture (CSA) in four of Egypt’s most significant value chains – dairy, dates, maize and wheat – the authors demonstrate...
Investment Briefs
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...
Country Investment Highlights
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...
Investment Toolkits
How to invest in farmers? A guide for agriculture human capital investment projects
04/2023
This toolkit aims to provide investors including policymakers, government officials, international and national development banks and the private sector,...