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
Annual Reviews
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...
Country Investment Highlights
Investing in rural households through community promoters - The Haku Wiñay/Noa Jayatai programme in Peru
07/2021
This case study report was written as a part of the Agriculture Human Capital Investment Study, funded by FAO Investment...
Directions in Investment
Potential brewing for Azerbaijani and Georgian tea industries
06/2021
Although the once booming tea industries in Azerbaijan and Georgia have long been in decline, interest in revitalizing the sector...
Investment Toolkits
Making climate-sensitive investments in agriculture: approaches, tools and selected experiences
06/2021
Climate change is a major challenge for agriculture, a vital source of food, income and employment for most of the...
Directions in Investment
Agri-hire in sub-Saharan Africa: Business models for investing in sustainable mechanization
06/2021
There has been a surge in the attention to sustainable agricultural mechanization for Africa. The need to support agricultural mechanization...
Directions in Investment
Urban food systems governance
03/2021
This report presents insights and emerging lessons on food systems governance from the experience of nine cities that have developed...
Annual Reviews
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...
Annual Reviews
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...
Annual Reviews
FAO Investment Centre - 2017 at a glance
09/2018
This brochure is a summary of the FAO Investment Centre activities during 2017.
Annual Reviews
1964-2014 FAO Investment Centre: 50 years of development support
01/2015
To celebrate the Investment Centre’s 50th anniversary, we at FAO reflected on half a century’s worth of experiences in facilitating...