Private Investment
Creating the right business conditions can help crowd in much-needed private agrifood investment. This is essential, especially amid shrinking public spending and development aid and the fast-approaching 2030 Agenda deadline.
The FAO Investment Centre is expanding its work on private investment. It partnered with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to support private investment in 20 countries through the Bank’s USD 1.3 billion food and agribusiness portfolio in 2025, extending this collaboration to five countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
FAO’s collaboration with EBRD includes advisory services such as identifying investment opportunities; facilitating public-private policy dialogues; promoting greener agrifood systems; developing food safety and quality standards and sustainable agritourism; supporting investment in digital solutions; and diversifying exports.
The Centre provided advisory support to intermediate finance for three local banks in sub-Saharan Africa worth USD 66 million – two projects approved by the European Investment Bank to improve access to finance for small-scale producers and agribusinesses in Ethiopia and one in Rwanda co-financed by IFAD and GAFSP to strengthen farmer organizations and unlock commercial finance.
Initiatives
Latest stories
The “Portraits of food heritage” installation at the FAO “From seeds to foods” exhibition in Rome!
09/10/2026
The FAO From Seeds to Foods global exhibition is back for a second year! From 8 to 12 October 2026, under the theme Fostering Innovation for Food Security...
In Argentina, better water planning and investment are crucial for agricultural growth
24/07/2026
Reliable access to water for irrigation and livestock intake is increasingly critical for agricultural production and rural development in the face...
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Investment Briefs
Investing in people to promote agrifood transformation
09/06/2026
FAO Investment Centre and Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) have released the fourth and final brief in a series exploring how finance, prices, technology...
Latest publications
FAO Investment Centre – 2025 at a glance
09/2026
The FAO Investment Centre works with a growing network of partners to help countries invest in agrifood systems to reduce hunger, poverty and malnutrition and advance sustainable development. The Centre integrates the vast technical, analytical and policy expertise from across FAO into its 4+2 solutions, delivering tailored, multidisciplinary support to around 120 countries annually across five geographic service.
Approaches to human capital investment: Lessons from experimental evidence
06/2026
This brief summarizes key findings from 44 experimental and quasi-experimental studies, assessing the impact of human capital interventions on farmer knowledge and productivity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
Integrating sustainability-linked loans into agrifood finance: Opportunities and challenges
06/2026
This report summarizes the key findings and aims to inform development banks and other financial investors interested in issuing more and higher-quality SLLs to agrifood borrowers. Drawing on data collected in collaboration with the University of Florida, it combines the perspectives of commercial banks and agrifood companies to identify best practices that can be adapted to the specificities of developing economies.
Dos and don’ts of blended finance in agrifood systems: The case of investment funds
03/2026
This paper briefly reviews the definition of blended finance and the characteristics of blended funds in agrifood systems. It then focuses on lessons learned and finally makes recommendations to fund managers and concessional investors, that is, investors expecting a financial return below market rate.
Expanding Egyptian horticultural exports to European markets: Opportunities and investment priorities
03/2026
This new study, supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the FAO Investment Centre, shows that strategic investments in food safety and quality, sustainability, and supply chain infrastructure can unlock this opportunity. The study assesses Egypt's horticultural exports, pinpointing challenges and investment opportunities to enhance the sector's competitiveness, particularly for accessing European markets.