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
Jordan: A catalogue of agritourism experiences
02/2025
This catalogue is the result of extensive research and dialogues with key stakeholders, and highlights more than 40 unique agritourism experiences across Jordan. It offers a portal for tourists, both inside and outside the country, to engage in a spectrum of agricultural activities and enjoy the country’s local produce.
Understanding commercial urban agriculture: An overview
01/2025
From 2021 through 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, University of Bologna, Wageningen University and Research, University of Liège and others conducted an exhaustive study assessing the state of commercial urban agriculture (CUA) globally, with special focus on countries in which the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) operates.
Digital technologies for agriculture in Türkiye: A review
01/2025
Available in Turkish. This study reviews the current state of digital technologies in agriculture in Türkiye. Following a brief review of key trends and challenges in the agriculture sector, the study describes the ecosystem for digital transformation and the current technology supplier landscape.
Accessing finance to invest in agrifood: A review of experimental evidence
12/2024
This brief focuses on the impacts of finance access on farmers’ investments and how it can enable investments in farms and businesses. It examines experimental and quasi-experimental evidence around farmers’ and small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) access to finance, the economic impacts of accessing financial services on investments, and the constraints of accessing finance in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs).
Building resilience in urban food logistics systems
11/2024
This report explores the transformative impact of recent global disruptions on urban food logistics. Set against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical tensions, it addresses critical challenges such as supply chain resilience, evolving consumer demand, and the need for sustainable infrastructure.