EIB Group Vice-President Gelsomina Vigliotti outlined the Bank’s role in promoting food security and climate resilience in her keynote speech at the World Food Forum 2025.
Good morning, esteemed guests and colleagues,
It is a great privilege to be here today, celebrating a remarkable milestone – the 80th anniversary of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)!
What an incredible legacy: since 1945, FAO has been a cornerstone in the global fight against hunger, bringing countries together to place food security, sustainable agriculture and rural development at the heart of the international agenda.
Agriculture is indeed at the heart of global development. The way we produce, distribute and finance food shapes not only food security but also climate resilience, economic growth and the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide.
As we reflect on FAO’s achievements, allow me to highlight the role of the institution I represent – the European Investment Bank (EIB), the financial arm of the European Union.
Since 1965, when the EIB approved its first loan to support agriculture outside Europe, the Bank has financed over 3 000 agricultural projects in more than 70 countries beyond the European Union, totalling more than € 85 billion. Remarkably, more than 80% of this financing has been committed in the past decade alone, demonstrating the Bank’s growing commitment to agricultural development and food security.
These numbers are more than just figures – they are resources that drive real change, promoting long-lasting impact in developing countries, strengthening communities and empowering the people who need it most.
But past achievements are not enough. As the world changes, so must our approach. The EIB is evolving to maximise transformative impact, focusing on interventions along strategic economic and logistic corridors and on strengthening value chains – from farm production to processing, transportation and market access. This approach drives both economic development and job creation while enhancing the spill-over benefits of agriculture investment, particularly in climate action and social inclusion.
Today, we continue this mission by announcing a $110 million loan to ETC Group to modernise processing plants, storage and transport infrastructure across sub-Saharan Africa, including Mozambique, Malawi, Benin, Zambia, Tanzania and Uganda. This financing is one of the largest loans ever granted by the Bank to a private company in Africa, reflecting our ambition to build long-term partnerships that boost competitiveness, foster climate resilience and improve livelihoods across the continent.
Talking about long-term partnerships, let me reiterate once more that collaboration is key, especially in this fast-changing world. Through close partnerships with Rome-based UN agencies – FAO, International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and World Food Programme (WFP) – we combine financial capacity with technical expertise, ensuring tangible impact even in fragile and low-capacity contexts.
A flagship example is our €500 million loan to IFAD, already enhancing rural development and food security in over 70 countries, with a strong focus on sub-Saharan Africa. At the Financing for Development summit in Seville in July, we further deepened collaboration with FAO and WFP through new Memoranda of Understanding, strengthening our joint commitment to sustainable agriculture.
Through a diverse set of instruments, steadfast support from our EU member-state shareholders and effective coordination with our partners, we aim not only to amplify investments in agriculture but also to make them more sustainable, inclusive and equitable.
Looking around this room, I am confident that we share a common vision – an agricultural sector that feeds the world, empowers communities and preserves the planet for future generations. Together, we can make this vision a reality.
Thank you.