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
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.
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 carbon neutrality: Utopia or the new green wave? Challenges and opportunities for agrifood systems
06/2022
'Investing in carbon neutrality: utopia or the new green wave?' presents a comprehensive assessment of the key challenges and opportunities of carbon...
Country Investment Highlights
Digital agriculture in action: Selected case studies from India
06/2022
This publication highlights some successful initiatives in leveraging digital technologies, improving value-chain processes and building capacity to...
Country Investment Highlights
Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood system: investment opportunities in Kazakhstan
05/2022
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), collaborating within...
Country Investment Highlights
Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood system: investment opportunities in the Kyrgyz Republic
05/2022
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), collaborating within...
Country Investment Highlights
Tea sector review: Georgia
05/2022
This study was produced under an FAO-EBRD Cooperation project on reviewing the development potential of the tea sectors of Azerbaijan and Georgia. As...
Country Investment Highlights
Tea sector review: Azerbaijan
05/2022
This study was produced under an FAO-EBRD Cooperation project on reviewing the development potential of the tea sectors of Azerbaijan and Georgia. As...
Investment Toolkits
Investment guidelines for youth in agrifood systems in Africa
04/2022
The Investment guidelines for youth in agrifood systems in Africa, developed jointly by FAO and the African Union Commission (AUC) through a multi-stakeholder...
Investment Briefs
Scaling up investments in agrifood systems for youth in Africa - What policymakers need to know
04/2022
This investment brief highlights the importance of youth as change agents and key stakeholders contributing to sustainable agrifood systems. It...
Annual Reviews
FAO Investment Centre – 2021 at a glance
03/2022
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) aims to provide sustainable agrifood investment and finance solutions to...
Investment Briefs
Smart farmers – Learning with digital technologies
12/2021
Strengthening the skills and capabilities of agricultural producers, especially smallholder producers, to successfully manage their agricultural enterprises...
Investment Briefs
Investing in agricultural water management: Pathways to a sustainable future
12/2021
This brief identifies innovations and opportunities for investing in sustainable agricultural water management in the coming decade, recognizing how...
Investment Briefs
The Shortest Path: Accelerating investment towards carbon-neutral agri-food systems
11/2021
This Investment Brief provides a synthesis of the evolving situation in agri-food systems from a carbon neutrality perspective. It explores key challenges...