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 60 years young 1964–2024
12/2025
The 60-year journey of the FAO Investment Centre tells a remarkable story of technical excellence and trusted partnerships. It also reflects the vision and effort of those who laid its foundations, the dedication of those who worked hard to sustain the Centre over the years, and its ability to adapt and innovate in a rapidly changing world.
Financing opportunities for cocoa processing in Côte d’Ivoire
11/2025
Côte d’Ivoire is the world’s leading producer and processor of cocoa beans. Its processing capacity now surpasses that of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which until recently had held the top position. The government is continuing to encourage investment in local cocoa bean processing, which could account for 70 to 80 percent of national production by 2030. This study examines the prospects for investment in primary cocoa processing and the financing needs this objective entails.
Investing in people for better agrifood jobs
10/2025
The FAO Investment Centre connects these dimensions by ensuring physical and financial investments are matched with investments in people. It integrates human capital and job creation into operations, aligning skills with market demand and connecting growth with inclusion. This work draws on FAO’s technical expertise and data, and the Centre’s investment experience in over 120 countries – aligned with FAO’s Four Betters.
FAO Investment Centre - 2024 at a glance
06/2025
FAO is intensifying its efforts with financing partners to crowd in public and private investment for a more food-secure, resilient and sustainable future for all.
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 (EBRD) operates: Serbia, Egypt, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.