Summary
The global food system is under immense pressure due to its growing vulnerability to extreme weather events, which threaten agricultural productivity and food security. At the same time, the agriculture sector is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, further intensifying climate challenges. Addressing these dual issues is critical to ensuring a sustainable and resilient food system.
To tackle these challenges, both the public and private sectors are driving innovation and developing new agri-tech solutions. Advancing through the innovation cycle — from research and development (R&D) to scaling up and ensuring adoption at the farmer level — is essential for success. This report highlights how policymakers, development finance institutions (DFIs), and private sector stakeholders can collaborate to create and scale solutions that enhance resilience, strengthen food security, and transform agriculture.
The report explores groundbreaking innovations, including agri-tech solutions to reduce livestock methane emissions, climate-resilient crop varieties, and microbial fertilizers. It examines the opportunities and barriers to developing and scaling these solutions, while emphasizing the critical roles of IFC, policymakers, and other institutions in addressing these pressing challenges within the global food system.
Access to finance is a key enabler for both agricultural technology developers and farmers adopting these innovations. Funding for resilience-focused technologies, such as nitrogen fixation methods, depends on partnerships that foster a supportive environment for growth. Development finance institutions like IFC can use their influence to create and sustain policies that encourage agricultural innovation and attract private sector investment. Through policy advocacy and public-private partnerships (PPPs), DFIs help build the foundation for scaling agricultural technologies.
The private sector plays a vital role in scaling out (expanding innovations across regions) and scaling up (increasing adoption rates and user numbers) in emerging markets. DFIs act as catalysts for these investments, accelerating the transition of technologies through the innovation cycle. As these technologies progress, the roles of the public and private sectors continue to evolve, ensuring that innovation drives long-term resilience and sustainability in agriculture.
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