Investing in climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure

PROJECT
INFORMATION

Geography

Danube corridor, Uzbekistan

Focus Areas

Green

Contact

Dmytro Prykhodko

[email protected]

Tommaso Alacevich

[email protected]

Keywords

agrifood systems, climate-efficient investment, grain, Horticulture, Infrastructure, oilseeds

❯ Project Materials

Summary

Under this project, the EBRD and FAO aim to support the identification of investment opportunities in climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure for selected value chains in Uzbekistan and along the Danube corridor, guiding agribusinesses operating in specific value chains, as well as other investors, in decisions they make related to climate-efficient infrastructure.

Context

Agrifood systems (AFS) are central to the global economy, generating around USD 9 trillion annually and employing more than a quarter of the world’s workforce. They are also critical to addressing food security, climate change, water management and rural livelihoods. However, global policy and investment discussions often prioritize sectors such as transport, energy and digital infrastructure, while the specific infrastructure needs of agrifood systems remain under-recognized. Scaling up innovative, climate‑efficient agrifood systems infrastructure is therefore essential to enable sustainable, resilient, and inclusive agrifood systems.

To address this need, the EBRD and FAO jointly developed a new conceptual framework for climate‑efficient agrifood systems infrastructure, presented at COP29 and published in a joint report in 2024. This earlier work was carried out as part of a previous project, Towards a new generation of climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure. The conceptual framework defines such infrastructure as long‑lived, capital‑intensive assets that support competitive and inclusive agrifood systems while delivering essential ecosystem services. It is supported by key performance indicators across economic, environmental, climate and social dimensions, providing practical guidance to investors, policymakers and financial institutions to align agrifood investments with sustainability and resilience goals.

Building on this work, this current project will focus on priority agrifood systems infrastructure in Uzbekistan and the Danube corridor, focusing on horticulture and grain and oilseeds, respectively, spanning production, processing, distribution and marketing.

The new project will also create synergies with ongoing EBRD-FAO initiatives on green value chains and climate‑smart investments, leveraging FAO’s policy expertise and country engagement alongside EBRD’s private‑sector networks to inform policy dialogue, mobilize investment and strengthen climate‑resilient agrifood systems. In Uzbekistan specifically, the project will link with the Developing NDC implementation roadmaps for climate smart agrifood systems project.

Activities

Map climate and environmental hotspots by looking at patterns that affect agrifood systems’ value addition and country-specific comparative advantages.
Review relevant national and regional strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation, in addition to agribusiness development strategies and priorities expressed by private and public sector stakeholders.
Identify suitable climate-efficient agrifood systems infrastructure gaps through assessments of the current state of agrifood systems infrastructure in the selected geographies and value chains, identifying key gaps and opportunities for climate-efficient investment.
Map high-priority regions for infrastructure deployment, based on the intersection of climate vulnerability, strategic value chain importance and investment readiness.
Engage with relevant private and public stakeholders in the horticulture value chain (Uzbekistan) and grain and oilseeds (Danube corridor), through evidence-based consultations.
Identify priority infrastructure needs for the selected value chains and define the most suitable infrastructure types.

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