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
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 and participatory process, highlight the importance of youth as change agents and key stakeholders contributing to sustainable agrifood systems.
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...
FAO Investment Centre - 2020 at a glance
07/2021
Making food systems more sustainable is not just about reducing carbon footprints, but also about creating jobs, reducing inequalities, improving efficiencies along supply chains and strengthening people’s ability to cope with climate change. This short summary - 2020 at a glance highlights the recent work fo the Centre.
FAO Investment Centre - 2019 at a glance
09/2020
Sustainable food systems are key to tackling our most pressing challenges – from ending hunger and poverty to preserving the...
FAO Investment Centre - 2018 at a glance
08/2019
Ambitious development agenda calls for extraordinary efforts – efforts that must be financed. Public funding through Official Development Assistance alone...