Public Investment
Creating a healthier, more sustainable world requires massive investment. Transforming agrifood systems will cost USD 4 trillion, or more, from now until 2030 in low- and middle-income countries. That translates to about USD 680 billion per year.
For six decades, the FAO Investment Centre has helped mobilize billions of dollars of public investment in agriculture, food security, nutrition, poverty reduction and rural development.
The Centre provides tailored investment support to countries and financial partners at all stages of the project cycle – from project conception, identification, design and appraisal to implementation and evaluation.
Good investment design is only part of the equation. Supporting the implementation of ongoing investment projects – the lion’s share of the Centre’s work on public investment – ensures quality control and helps countries achieve positive and lasting results.
The Centre’s main partners include the World Bank, IFAD, multilateral and regional development banks like the African Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Inter-American Development Bank, along with specialist funds such as the Green Climate Fund, the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program and the European Union.
Latest stories
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...
Improving performance in agrifood public spending in Niger
11/05/2026
The World Bank Group and the FAO Investment Centre just published a joint public expenditure and price incentive analysis to support the Government...
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...
New book traces the FAO Investment Centre’s evolution over its first 60 years
19/12/2025
For over six decades, the FAO Investment Centre has helped countries invest in agrifood systems to reduce hunger, poverty and malnutrition and advance...
Latest publications
Collective tenure rights and climate action in sub-Saharan Africa. What are priority investments in rights to achieve long-term sustainability of forest areas?
03/2025
The study on collective tenure rights and climate action in sub-Saharan Africa aims to consolidate and analyse the state of the evidence on how tenure arrangements – in particular collective ownership and management of forests operating in complex systems of contingent factors – impact forest condition outcomes, as well as livelihood outcomes of forest dwellers in sub-Saharan Africa.
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.
FAO-World Bank Cooperative Programme 1964–2024 FAO Investment Centre 60 years young
12/2024
This year, 2024, marks the 60th anniversary of the Cooperative Programme (CP) between the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Bank, a collaboration that has been a cornerstone of efforts to eliminate poverty, hunger, and malnutrition.
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.
Towards a new generation of climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure: Conceptual framework and analytical review
11/2024
This report aims to shed light on the need for greater and smarter investments in AFS infrastructure, and how they can contribute to global economic, climate and social challenges.