ISLAMABAD: The Food and Agr­iculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations will convene a National Agricultural Investment Summit in Islamabad on February 3 to showcase concrete investment opportunities in Pakistan’s agriculture sector, particularly dairy and olive sectors.

The one-day summit, being organised in collaboration with the government, will showcase high-potential commodity specific investment opportunities, particularly in olive and dairy sectors. The FAO’s initiative will facilitate dialogue between government counterparts, development partners, financial institutions, investors, agribusiness companies and farmers.

Building on the ‘Hand-in-Hand’ (HiH) initiative of FAO, the summit will serve as a matchmaking platform connecting producers, agribusinesses, startups, investors, commercial banks, and government institutions.

The Hand-in-Hand Initiative is a flagship, country-driven platform designed to accelerate agrifood systems transformation by mobilising targeted investments aligned with national priorities.

Under the HiH Initiative, the FAO supports the government in identifying high-potential commodities and strategic infrastructure investments that can enhance food security, build climate resilience, and reduce rural poverty.

The FAO says the investment conference will identify priority value-chain bottlenecks requiring public, private and blended solutions, and identify and analyse investment bottlenecks, including policy, regulatory, financing and infrastructure-related constraints, through expert panels and stakeholder dialogues.

The summit will help expand investor awareness and confidence in the country’s agriculture sector.

The promotion of climate-smart and inclusive agri-business models by featuring scalable innovations from startups, smallholders, and agri-tech solutions aligned with sustainability goals, will also be discussed during the summit.

Published in Dawn, January 26th, 2026