About 1.5 billion people, most of the world’s poor, live on small farms in developing countries. Improving livelihoods requires investing in their “agriculture human capital”: skills, abilities and knowledge, social and personal attributes and experience to enable them to farm productively and sustainably. These include technical agricultural skills in crops and livestock, business skills in marketing, records, as well as functional skills such as empowerment, leadership, and innovation. There is high demand for human capital development but public agencies often cannot provide it and smallholders cannot afford to pay for it. There is great need for it as agriculture becomes more commercial, information- and skill-intensive and climate change increases weather hazards. This brief aims to assess the private sector’s role in developing smallholder human capital, and the advantages, limitations and challenges of this involvement. It outlines how development agencies and governments can facilitate the private sector to increase investment. The brief concludes with recommendations on how development agencies and governments can support and facilitate private sector investment. The main providers of non-formal agricultural train ing are extension and advisory services (EAS), mainly government, private companies, NGOs and farmer organizations. Other providers include agricultural technical and vocational education and training centres, on-the-job training such as internships, and informal interaction between farmers.

Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agri-food systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute, with support from the CGIAR Research Programme on Policies, Institutions and Markets and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from recent trends to promising initiatives in Cameroon, Chile, Côte d’Ivoire, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru, Rwanda and the United States of America. It also includes 11 shorter case studies, ranging from pastoralist training centres to the inclusion of indigenous communities. The global study aims to provide governments, international financing institutions, the private sector and other partners with the evidence and analysis needed to make more and better investments in agriculture human capital. This publication is part of the Directions in Investment series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agrifood systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), with support from the CGIAR Research Program on Policies, Institutions, and Markets (PIM) and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from recent trends to promising initiatives. This toolkit aims to provide investors including policymakers, government officials, international and national development banks and the private sector, with the evidence, analysis, guidance and processes to make sounder investment decisions on projects, programmes and policies that strengthen farmers’ capacities. This publication is part of the Investment Toolkits series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

This study examines ways to increase food security, reduce poverty and achieve economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa with ‘water’ through increased participation of the private sector and publicprivatepartnerships. This report is a summary of the findings from a review of the literature and critical analysis thereof. The ‘private sector’ includes all farmers, farm households, and agriculture-based micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). That is: all entities involved in crop, livestock and fish production and marketing, in post-harvest activities and food processing, and in supply chains for the goods, services and information used in the process. The study examines different types of agricultural water development and management. These include smallholder subsistence farming, cultivation of profit-oriented high-value crops, and peri-urban agriculture, as well as successful examples of private sector involvement in various functions or processes, including planning, design, construction, operations and maintenance. The spotlight on ‘water’ does not imply that other factors, such as off farm employment, market development and education, are unimportant.

Investing in farmers through public-private-producer partnerships Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Scaling-up Initiative in Indonesia. Investing in farmers – or agriculture human capital – is crucial to addressing challenges in our agri-food systems. A global study carried out by the FAO Investment Centre and the International Food Policy Research Institute, with support from the CGIAR Research Programme on Policies, Institutions and Markets and the FAO Research and Extension Unit, looks at agriculture human capital investments, from trends to promising initiatives. One of the nine featured case studies is the Rural Empowerment and Agricultural Development Scaling-up Initiative in Indonesia. This programme adds perspectives on investing in human capital in agriculture through public-private-producer partnerships, using lead farmers, cocoa doctors and farmer field schools. The case study shows that the training and coaching provided increased knowledge of and practical skills in cocoa farming, including technical skills, soft skills and empowerment, leading to better productivity and cocoa quality. The programme increased farmers’ confidence to take on new activities and sell a quality product. In addition, farmers developed group cooperation and decision-making skills, and group members learned communication, entrepreneurship and marketing skills. This publication is part of the Country Investment Highlights series under the FAO Investment Centre's Knowledge for Investment (K4I) programme.

Poised to become the go-to place for agrifood investment and finance solutions, the FAO Investment Centre provides a full suite of investment support services to FAO Members, working in over 120 countries. The Centre acts as a bridge between Members and financing partners to scale up agrifood investment for greater impact at country level. It also supports better enabling conditions for policy and investment and integrates FAO’s vast knowledge and expertise into national and regional investment planning.In 2022, the Centre helped design 45 IFI-approved public investment projects in 34 countries for a total of USD 8.8 billion in new investment – up 22 percent from the previous year’s USD 7.2 billion. And it provided implementation support to 275 ongoing investment projects representing a portfolio worth over USD 44.5 billion.Also notable were contributions to 52 agricultural studies, 25 sector studies, 17 policy studies and 6 policy dialogues and the publication of 34 new knowledge products – from a flagship study on carbon neutrality in agrifood systems to investing in youth in Africa, among others.

This catalogue aims to improve the dissemination and outreach of FAO’s knowledge products and overall publishing programme. By providing information on its key publications in every area of FAO’s work, and catering to a range of audiences, it thereby contributes to all organizational outcomes. From statistical analysis to specialized manuals to children’s books, FAO publications cater to a diverse range of audiences. This catalogue presents a selection of FAO’s main publications, produced in 2023 or earlier, ranging from its global reports and general interest publications to numerous specialized titles. In addition to the major themes of agriculture, forestry and fisheries, it also includes thematic sections on climate change, economic and social development, and food safety and nutrition.

This background paper to The State of Food and Agriculture 2023 describes how true cost accounting (TCA) and the lessons learned from its application can inform efforts to develop a sound economic foundation for sustainability in business and finance in agrifood systems. It looks at the current state of TCA in the business and financial sector, giving examples of different initiatives and resources available that have contributed significantly to the development of knowledge and guidance for TCA application within the private and financial sectors in agrifood systems. The paper recognises the value of drawing on the extensive groundwork that has been conducted under various TCA initiatives to develop ready-reference databases and tools for the private sector. It also acknowledges that numerous gaps need to be filled to ensure the mainstreaming of TCA. These include gaps in the standardization of methods, including indicators, impact pathways and valuation factors. Research and guidance are needed to help businesses integrate capital accounting into corporate governance, strategy and performance models. Overcoming these barriers will require coordinated efforts by different actors in agrifood systems.The great challenges of our time call for a new economic foundation for sustainability. The momentum at the international level to reform business accounting and reporting standards can support a transformation towards sustainable agrifood systems. So far, the initial success of agrifood businesses in applying and integrating TCA into decision-making shows that, given the right enabling environment, businesses can contribute to building socially, environmentally and economically sustainable agrifood systems. To achieve this transformation, however, standard-setting is needed to create a level playing field.