FAO Investment Centre

Innovation and Knowledge for Investment (IK4I)

Knowledge for Investment (K4I)

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
10/10/2026
A new report by the FAO Investment Centre, in collaboration with Tameo Impact Fund Solutions, seeks to reduce this knowledge gap through a comparative, data-driven analysis of 81 food and agriculture impact funds investing in priority in agrifood systems across low- and middle-income countries.
25/08/2026
A new brief from the FAO Investment Centre, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH), examines the long-term, added value of investing in One Health – an integrated approach that recognizes the connections between human, animal, plant and ecosystem health.
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.

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
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...

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...

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...

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...

Conservation agriculture in China: innovations, investment opportunities and challenges
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,...

Climate-smart agriculture in China: from policy to investment
Country Investment Highlights
Climate-smart agriculture in China: From policy to investment
04/2023

FAO introduced CSA at the Hague Conference on Agricultural, Food Security and Climate Change in 2010 and has been strongly supporting it since then....

Sustainable agricultural mechanization in China: a comprehensive review
Country Investment Highlights
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,...

Investment Briefs
Investing in agriculture human capital: Roles for the private sector
04/2023

The objective of this brief is to assess the role of the private sector in developing human capital among smallholders. It identifies private sector...

Annual Reviews
FAO Investment Centre - 2022 at a glance
03/2023

FAO is committed to helping countries achieve a healthier, more sustainable future. That means finding the right combination of policies, innovations...

Investment Briefs
Evolution of food e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic
03/2023

The brief provides policy recommendations and identifies strategies and key areas of investment that are required for the sustainable development of...