ADB scales up nature-based solutions and supportfor climate-smart agriculture across the entire agriculture and food value chains, including the blue economy.
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ADB Plans $14 Billion to Ease Food Crisis
ADB announced plans to provide at least $14 billion over 2022-2025 in a comprehensive program of support to ease a worsening food crisis in Asia and the Pacific, and improve long-term food security by strengthening food systems against the impacts of climate change and biodiversity loss.
The assistance expands ADB’s already significant support for food security in the region, where nearly 1.1 billion people lack healthy diets due to poverty and food prices which have soared to record highs in 2022.
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ADB's focus on Agriculture and Food Security: In-Depth
Despite growing prosperity, hunger and malnutrition persist in Asia and the Pacific. Half of the world's 600 million hungry people live in the region.
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Climate-related disasters and water stress are having severe adverse impacts on food production and supply across Asia and the Pacific.
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Ensuring stable and affordable food supplies is central to keeping millions out of extreme poverty.
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Undernourished people in developing Asia
Although hunger declined between 2001 and 2019, the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in developing Asia's undernourished population.
Climate change impacts on freshwater fisheries in Asia’s largest river basins
Climate change have had a severe impact on the fishing industry in Asia.
Global Rice Prices
Rice prices have soared to their highest levels in 15 years.
ADB is working with its developing member countries (DMCs) to help integrate food production, processing, marketing, and distribution to strengthen the resilience and efficiency of food and agricultural value chains. To transform agriculture in the region, ADB builds partnerships across developing Asia, including the private sector, to tackle difficult challenges such as climate change, nutrition insecurity, and growing water shortages. The region’s aging farming population and changing consumer demands are also important issues for ADB. Climate change resilience and adaptation are built into all ADB agriculture and natural resources projects.
The bank also strives to reduce the volatility of food prices and make food systems less susceptible to external shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, that has raised prices across the region and driven millions back into extreme poverty. ADB also aims to boost food and agricultural employment, targeting the poor, women, and vulnerable groups.
ADB's focus on Agriculture and Food Security: In-Depth
Our Impact
Results delivered in 2023 from ADB projects.
106.1 million
People benefiting from
increased rural investment
39,000
Farmers using quality farm inputs
and sustainable mechanization
213,000 hectares
Land with higher productivity
Source:
2023 Development Effectiveness Review
Your Questions Answered
How must agriculture and food production respond to the challenges posed by climate change?
In Asia, 75% of farmers are dependent on agriculture. Climate change is projected to reduce crop productivity by 15% to 20% (or even 50% in some crops) by 2050 in the business-as-usual scenario.
Are there any proven strategies to minimize food price volatility in the region?
Aside from exempting food supply chains from mobility restrictions and providing short-term financing, ADB also advocates for open trade and the availability of systems and processes to ensure transparency of information on food availability.
By 2030, regional demand for water is set to exceed supply by nearly 40%, what needs to be done to reduce this huge gap?
ADB promotes the efficient use of water resources to help increase the climate resilience of agri-food systems. As of 2021, irrigation ($2 billion), water-based natural resources management ($1 billion), and rural flood protection ($477 million) are among ADB’s top investments in agriculture and natural resources.
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What's New
- 06 Jun 2024| Development AsiaSecuring Lao PDR’s Food and Nutrition Future
- 03 Jun 2024| Asian Development BlogInnovative Agricultural Practices and International Collaboration Can Stabilize Rice Prices
- 27 May 2024| VideoRestoring Nature for Livelihoods and Climate Resilience in Cambodia
- 17 May 2024| News from Country OfficesADB, City Group Partner to Build Energy-Efficient Oilseed Crushing Plant to Support Food Security in Bangladesh
- 05 May 2024| VideoADB and Georgia, together Building a Bridge to the Future
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Experts
Qingfeng Zhang
Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development
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Yasmin Siddiqi
Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development
Thomas Panella
Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development
Jiangfeng Zhang
Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development
