Private Investment
Transforming the world’s agrifood systems to be greener, fairer and more resilient calls for billions of dollars in new investments. Public funding alone is not enough. That is why the FAO Investment Centre works with governments and public and private partners to create the enabling conditions that attract greater and more responsible private investment in the agrifood sector.
Most of the Centre’s private sector work is carried out through its partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, helping to make agribusiness development in the Bank’s countries of operation more sustainable, inclusive and efficient. That 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.
Initiatives
Latest stories
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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...
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Directions in Investment
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...
TERRA: expanding access to finance for Kenyan small and medium agrifood companies
01/06/2026
A EUR 30 million credit line from the Italian bank Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) to Equity Bank Kenya will ease access to finance for small and...
Investment Briefs
The dos and don’ts of blended finance in agrifood systems – advice to mobilize capital for impact via investment funds
23/03/2026
Blended finance – the use of public or philanthropic money to mobilize private investment for sustainable development – quickly gained traction as...
Latest publications
Supporting development finance institutions financing private agrifood investments
11/2024
The Investment Centre acts as a bridge between countries and financing partners to create the enabling conditions for greater public and private investment to accelerate the transformation to more sustainable agrifood systems.
FAO Investment Centre - 2023 at a glance
07/2024
FAO, through its Investment Centre, works with partners to provide tailored, scalable investment and finance solutions to help countries achieve better, more sustainable outcomes. This latest edition looks at the Centre’s achievements in 2023 while also identifying priority areas for the coming years.
Understanding microfinance interest rates in agrifood
07/2024
Interest rates have been a contentious issue in microfinance for many years. While higher interest rates for microloans are often justified by the underlying costs of making small loans in rural areas, this is not always the case.
Can smallholder farmers in Honduras and Guatemala export deforestation-free coffee to the European Union?
05/2024
The new EU Regulation for Deforestation-Free Imports (EUDR) stipulates that by 2025, certain commodities may only be imported to the European Union if it can be proven that they have been produced on land that has not been subjected to deforestation or forest degradation. One of these commodities – coffee – is a source of income for farmers in Guatemala and Honduras, representing 14 percent and 52 percent of these countries’ agrifood exports respectively.
Local sourcing - A guide for the hotel, restaurant, catering and tourism industries
05/2023
Local food sourcing strengthens links between HoReCa tourist businesses and farmers. It makes for a better guest experience, improves sustainability, gives local suppliers greater market access and creates business and employment opportunities in rural areas. It also promotes biodiversity, preserves traditional food production methods, reduces food waste and brings tourism revenue to more diverse rural areas.