The United Nations Investment Promotion Awards 2022 for Excellence in Promoting Sustainable Investment in Agribusiness were presented on 14 November 2022 at the Palais des Nations in Geneva.

The awards went to three equal winners. They were selected through a committee representing the academia, civil society, the business community, and the United Nations through HEC Montreal Business School, the Colombia Centre on Sustainable Investment, the International Chamber of Commerce, and UNCTAD.

The winners were (in alphabetical order):

The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency - ApexBrasil

APEX Brazil received the award for its ScaleUp programme that is designed to attract international tech companies by providing business development and strategic planning consultancies, mentorships, and access to local investors. Developed in collaboration with the Brazilian Venture Capital & Private Equity Association, the programme is implemented in partnerships with Israel Trade and Investment, the Japan External Trade Organization and Enterprise Singapore. In November 2022, the programme had facilitated the establishment of 15 companies in Brazil, including agritech start-ups that are contributing to climate-resilient agriculture and helping to optimize agricultural processes.

The General Authority for Investment and Free Zones - GAFI. Egypt

GAFI received the award for facilitating the Canal Sugar Company, a joint venture between investors from the United Arab Emirates and Egypt in the sugar industry. The project is in line with Egypt’s 2030 sustainable development vision and the country’s national objective to achieve food security in basic and strategic commodities by expanding production, reducing imports while adapting to climate change using smart agriculture systems. From its early start, GAFI assisted the investment project by providing support in securing licences and approvals and in the allocation of land. The project, that is expected to create 50 thousand jobs, aims to make Egypt self-sufficient in sugar. Beside sugar beet, also wheat, corn, barley, and oil crops will be produced. The project includes a modern sugar beet processing plant and a training academy for local farmers to help them increase their yields and minimize the use of water and fertilizers.

The Lesotho National Development Corporation - LNDC

LNDC received the award in recognition of its initiative to launch the Maluti Fresh Produce Market - a one-stop marketing and product handling facility - with an investment from a Lesotho Diaspora Investment Group. LNDC played a critical role in facilitating the project throughout the establishment process, particularly in forging partnerships with relevant ministries and authorities to secure licenses and incentives as well as in the commercial operationalization of the market and in ensuring its sustainability and social impact. The new trading platform provides registered farmers, who are predominantly women, with better access to product quality requirements, transparency on product pricing, and better access to cash flows. The market has further promoted investment by smallholder farmers in fruits and vegetable production, reducing reliance on imported goods while providing better nutrition to Lesotho schools that now have a centralised place for procurement.