Innovation and Knowledge for Investment (IK4I)
The Investment Centre provides a strong evidence-based voice on investment and finance solutions through its Innovation and Knowledge for Investment (IK4I) work.
By harnessing FAO’s technical expertise and leveraging partnerships with key financing and research institutions, the Centre fills critical knowledge gaps. It also shares the latest thinking and practical tools to support investment.
The growing body of investment knowledge products covers a wide range of topics – from scaling up agrifood investments for and by youth in Africa, to decarbonizing agrifood systems, among many others.
Latest stories
The potential of bioinputs for greener agrifood systems in Latin America and the Caribbean
17/06/2025
The Centre published Bioinputs: investment opportunities in Latin America. The report, part of FAO’s IK4I series, examines the economic viability, investment potential and social and environmental benefits of agricultural bioinputs in the region Agricultural bioinputs – products from plants, animals or microbes – are often used as supplements or natural alternatives to more synthetic agrochemicals.
Urban agriculture is experiencing a growth spurt
22/01/2025
Feeding our cities: How the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the movement of food in urban areas
02/12/2024
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way food is moved, sold and bought in urban areas worldwide – creating some new trends and accelerating others.
Why investing in climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure matters
20/11/2024
Latest publications
Investment Toolkits
Strengthening buyer/supplier relationships - Practical guidance for Montenegrin retailers
06/2022
Openness towards strengthening backwards linkages and local sourcing is a key factors in retailer product development and offerings in order...
Directions in Investment
Investing in carbon neutrality: Utopia or the new green wave? Challenges and opportunities for agrifood systems
06/2022
The world’s agrifood systems are on the frontlines of climate change, both...
Country Investment Highlights
Digital agriculture in action - Selected case studies from India
06/2022
Agriculture is becoming more knowledge-intensive. Access to timely, accurate information tailored to specific locations and conditions is critical to...
Country Investment Highlights
Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood system: investment opportunities in Kazakhstan
05/2022
Agrifood systems are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and increasingly under pressure to become more resource-efficient. The sector also...
Country Investment Highlights
Adoption of climate technologies in the agrifood system: investment opportunities in the Kyrgyz Republic
05/2022
Agrifood systems are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and increasingly under pressure to become more resource-efficient. The sector also...
Country Investment Highlights
Tea sector review – Georgia
05/2022
This study was produced under an FAO-EBRD Cooperation project on reviewing the development potential of the tea sectors of Azerbaijan...
Country Investment Highlights
Tea sector review – Azerbaijan
05/2022
This study was produced under an FAO-EBRD Cooperation project on reviewing the development potential of the tea sectors of Azerbaijan...
Investment Toolkits
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)...
Investment Briefs
Scaling up investments in agrifood systems for youth in Africa - What policymakers need to know
04/2022
This investment brief highlights the importance of youth as change agents and key stakeholders contributing to sustainable agrifood systems. It...
Annual Reviews
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...
Country Investment Highlights
Professionalizing farmer organizations through private sector-led models - Capacity development initiatives in Cameroon and Côte d’Ivoire
03/2022
One of the nine featured case studies, funded by the Agribusiness Market Ecosystems Alliance with support from IFAD, explores three...
Country Investment Highlights
Investing in youth vocational training - Professional training programme in the agropastoral and fisheries sectors in Cameroon
03/2022
One of the nine featured case studies is the Support Programme for the Renovation and Development of Professional Training in...