FAO Investment Centre

Public Investment

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
Why investing in climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure matters
20/11/2024

Today’s COP29 panel discussion led by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the...

Rural Alliances spark agricultural transformation in Bolivia
29/10/2024

Agriculture in Bolivia, a cornerstone of the country’s economy and the primary livelihood for its rural communities, is undergoing a transformation. 

Green Climate Fund approves funding for FAO-led projects in Somalia and Iraq
Green Climate Fund approves funding worth over $130 million for FAO-led projects in Somalia and Iraq
23/10/2024

The initiatives target water and food security challenges caused by climate change in fragile nations.

FAO’s Investment Centre celebrates 60 years of effective development partnerships
FAO’s Investment Centre celebrates 60 years of effective development partnerships
16/10/2024

Future work targets sustainable value chain development, decarbonization, digital agriculture and innovative finance among many other areas

Latest publications
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.

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.

Comparative study on the distribution of value in European chocolate chains
05/2024

The low level of income of most small cocoa farmers, especially in Western Africa, has been a growing issue in the cocoa sector for the past three decades, furthermore, ensuring a living income for small cocoa farmers has become a pressing issue across producing countries.

05/2023

Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agri-food systems. A global...