Fostering FDI in the Agriculture Sector

Given the relative importance of the agriculture sector in many countries including Pakistan, at the core of any sustainable development and poverty reduction strategy is the development of agriculture. The 2008 food crisis triggered renewed interest in the agriculture sector when food security was threatened in several countries, and civil unrest emerged in others. Although there is potential to exploit underutilised agricultural land, the extent of FDI in the agriculture sector is constrained by many factors. In this regard, development partners have an important catalytic role to play to ensure “win-win” outcomes that will jumpstart inclusive growth in countries that exhibit potential. The paper contends that unless the enabling environment in countries is as good as elsewhere in the world, the opportunity to attract FDI into the agriculture sector will be lost.