Mozambique’s Minister of Agriculture, Environment and Fisheries, Roberto Mito Albino, has stressed the need for the country to define clear investment priorities to mobilise funding for the transformation of agri-food systems.
He made the remarks in Rome, Italy, on Tuesday, 13 October, during his participation in a high-level panel entitled “Learning from Regional Experiences for Global Transformation”.
The panel was held as part of FAO’s Hand-in-Hand Initiative (HIH) Investment Forum, an annual platform of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations aimed at promoting investment in the transformation of agri-food systems.
In his address, Roberto Albino highlighted that the country is experiencing changes in the agricultural financing landscape, with multilateral institutions and development banks playing an increasingly important role as partners in mobilising resources for agriculture and the transformation of agri-food systems.
According to the minister, this situation requires the country to approach financing partners with clearly defined investment priorities, identifying strategic areas, priority value chains, investment conditions and the expected economic and development outcomes.
“This means that we must approach financing partners not only with a list of general development needs, but also with clear investment priorities: where to invest, in which value chains, under what conditions and with what expected economic and development outcomes,” he stressed.
At #HandinHand Investment Forum, Roberto Mito Albino, Minister of Agriculture in Mozambique, provides an overview of Mozambique’s investment strategy for bolstering rice production🌾, including seed production, irrigation & processing. Can ease import pressure, now > half M tons https://t.co/EJ8lpt8Iq1
— FAO Social & Economic Development (@FAOSocioEcon) October 16, 2026
The minister also emphasised the need for the country to strengthen evidence generation to guide the allocation of public resources, develop stronger investment proposals to mobilise public and private financing, and promote financial instruments tailored to the realities of local areas and national producers.
In this context, Roberto Albino acknowledged FAO’s role in providing the technical support and knowledge needed to turn agricultural development strategies into credible and resilient investments capable of driving the economy.
The minister also revealed that Mozambique had just completed the development of its new Agricultural Sector Development Strategy, covering a ten-year period and drawn up with technical support from FAO and other partners.
With a view to implementing the strategy, the minister highlighted the importance of the Hand-in-Hand approach, which makes it possible to integrate geospatial, socioeconomic and agricultural data to identify territorial priorities and value chains with the greatest potential, thereby guiding investment decisions.
The 2026 edition of the Hand-in-Hand Initiative Investment Forum, held in Rome, Italy, from 13 to 16 October, brought together 38 member countries, which presented their agri-food investment plans, including five regional initiatives.
The four-day event was part of the World Food Forum (WFF), a global platform that drives action to transform agrifood systems through the power of youth, science and innovation, and investment. Through bilateral meetings, participants – government representatives, private companies, development banks and foundations – explored financing arrangements, addressed investment risks, and built partnerships to advance country-led agrifood investment opportunities.
Source: Ministério da Agricultura, Ambiente e Pescas / Press Release