The EIB reinforces global partnerships to boost food security and promote rural development, fight hunger and poverty

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• As part of its strategic cooperation with UN agencies, the EIB formalises its partnership with the World Food Programme, paving the way for the implementation of the first EIB-backed climate risk insurance scheme and enhancing EIB’s impact in fragile contexts.
• The EIB extends its partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to strengthen sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Under the Seville Platform for Action, EIB joins the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty in two initiatives to fast-track finance for ending hunger, poverty and climate risk.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) announced new partnerships and commitments to promote food security and sustainable agriculture around the world and to combat hunger and poverty and. These steps were taken during the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) in Seville, Spain.

The EIB Group is supporting food security and sustainable agriculture across the globe. These partnerships and initiatives with UN institutions and the Global Alliance against hunger and poverty will improve and expand our support to those who need it most,” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “By leveraging synergies and sharing best practices, we aim to enhance food security and nutrition, empower farmers around the world—particularly women—, support adaptation to climate change, and transform agriculture into a more resilient and sustainable sector.”

Partnership with World Food Programme

The EIB formalised a partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) through a MoU that outlines key areas of cooperation, including climate resilience, food security and nutrition, critical agricultural infrastructure, innovative financing instruments, and inclusive access to finance for agricultural SMEs and smallholder farmers. This partnership has a global scope, with a focus on sub-Saharan Africa and fragile countries.

In addition, the EIB and WFP have signed a Letter of Understanding, enabling the EIB to directly finance WFP operations and benefit from its advisory and implementation expertise.

The first joint initiative will be a climate-risk insurance project in Ethiopia. This complements an existing €110 million EIB credit line to the Development Bank of Ethiopia aimed at improving rural access to finance – especially for small-scale farmers and women – and strengthening rural financial institutions.

“This partnership between the European Investment Bank and the World Food Programme reflects our shared commitment to investing in sustainable solutions that tackle the root causes of hunger, build resilience, and support communities most vulnerable to the impacts of conflict, climate and economic shocks,” said Rania Dagash-Kamara, Assistant Executive Director for Partnerships and Innovation at WFP.

Extension of memorandum of understanding with FAO

The EIB and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) renewed their joint commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa by extending their Memorandum of Understanding – originally signed in 2015 and renewed in 2020 – until 2030.  As part of this strengthened collaboration, the EIB has provided €1.4 million to the FAO for technical assistance in identifying and preparing projects that support sustainable and climate-resilient agriculture.

This collaboration has already facilitated the preparation of complex operations in Ethiopia and Liberia, including sector studies, feasibility assessments, and evaluations of project promoters’ implementation capacities.

By leveraging the FAO’s expertise, the EIB aims to expand its agrifood and bioeconomy lending pipeline, contributing to improved food security, increased farmer incomes, women’s empowerment and job creation.

A particular focus will be on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in agriculture re and smallholder farmers through financial intermediaries while engaging the public and private sectors in developing agrifood value chains.

“FAO, through its Investment Centre, is enthusiastic about growing its collaboration with the European Investment Bank (EIB) by signing this MoU, first established in 2015 and regularly renewed as a cornerstone of our shared commitment, said Mohamed Manssouri, Director of the FAO Investment Centre. “Within this framework, the latest agreement signed in 2023 is achieving great results for beneficiary countries, with two approved operations unlocking a EUR 130 million credit line to support local banks lending to smallholders and agri-SMEs across Sub-Saharan Africa, and more investments are under preparation. This partnership directly supports FAO’s vision for Better Production, Better Nutrition, a Better Environment and a Better Life, leaving no one behind,” he added.

Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

In 2024, the EIB joined other financial institutions in the Group of 20 global alliance against hunger and poverty led by Brazil.  In line with its mission to eradicate hunger and extreme poverty, the EIB committed to supporting the alliance’s integrated, multi-level approach combining social protection with access to essential services in education, health, finance and agriculture.

At FfD4, the EIB joined two initiatives led by the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty through the Seville Action Platform to fast-track finance for ending hunger, poverty and climate risk. These initiatives focus on building better-integrated finance for sustainable development goals (SDGs) 1 and 2 and on scaling up finance for climate-resilient social protection and smallholder agriculture. They aim to accelerate the implementation of large-scale national programs by streamlining financial flows from multiple donors and connecting them directly to on-the-ground needs.

Background information

EIB

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. It finances investments contributing to EU policy goals. EIB Global carries out the EIB’s operations outside the EU. As a key partner in the EU’s Global Gateway, the EIB aims to support at least €100 billion of investments by 2028, one third of the strategy’s target. Over the 2014–2023 period, EIB lending outside the EU totalled more than €70 billion, with a significant share supporting infrastructure, climate, and food security. With offices across the world, EIB Global is close to local people, firms and institutions, and fosters strong Team Europe partnerships with development finance institutions.

FAO

The FAO Investment Centre works to deliver investment and finance solutions that promote inclusive economic growth, better diets and nutrition, greater equity and climate resilience. The Centre provides a full suite of investment support services to FAO Member states, working in over 120 countries. It partners with governments, national and international financing institutions, the private sector, research institutions, academia and producer organizations to help countries achieve lasting impact at scale.

WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty

The Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty was established in 2024 as a proposal from the Brazilian presidency of the G20 to support and accelerate efforts to eradicate hunger and poverty (Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1 and 2), while reducing inequalities (SDG 10). The core of the Alliance is the Policy Basket, a menu of rigorously evaluated policy instruments, ensuring that donor investments are directed toward cost effective, high-impact initiatives. Acting as a neutral facilitator, the Alliance builds partnerships and mobilizes financial and knowledge resources to implement these policy instruments.  

In an innovative approach, the Alliance reduces transaction costs and avoids duplication of efforts by leveraging a unified database, streamlining the identification of knowledge and funding needs and opportunities. The Alliance also differentiates itself by favoring   the pooling of resources and expertise, enabling greater impact and efficiency compared to fragmented individual efforts. This allows the implementation of comprehensive, multisectoral strategies.