The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has exceeded its $14 billion commitment to strengthen food security in Asia and the Pacific during 2022–2025, marking a major milestone in its efforts to support the region’s agrifood sector. According to ADB President Masato Kanda, this funding has already reached 62 million farmers and helped create more than 500,000 jobs, underscoring the scale of its impact on livelihoods and rural development.
Building on this progress, ADB is now significantly expanding its ambition by committing an additional $26 billion in food security financing from 2026 to 2030. Combined with private capital mobilization and strategic partnerships, the bank aims to mobilize a total of $40 billion by 2030 to transform food systems across the region. This broader agenda is focused not only on food security, but also on ensuring that food systems improve nutrition, protect the environment, strengthen rural economies, and create inclusive employment opportunities.
ADB’s new strategy moves beyond isolated sector-based interventions toward integrated food systems solutions that strengthen entire agrifood value chains. The goal is to improve livelihoods, increase private sector participation, and enhance climate resilience while reaching more than 190 million smallholder farmers by 2030. This reflects a shift toward long-term food systems transformation rather than short-term support measures.
At the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum 2026, ADB highlighted major regional investment plans, including up to $8 billion in Southeast Asia, $7 billion in South Asia, and $3.5 billion in Central and West Asia, alongside $7.5 billion in private sector operations. The forum also showcased national transformation platforms such as the Indonesia Food Systems Investment Platform, the Philippines Agribusiness Investment Vehicle, and the India Rural Prosperity and Resilience Program, demonstrating how country-level initiatives will support broader regional goals.
ADB also used the forum to deepen partnerships aimed at accelerating food systems transformation. New cooperation agreements were signed with the World Food Programme to integrate nutrition into food systems and with Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to advance regional food system reforms. Additional collaborations include a memorandum of understanding with the AIM for Scale Initiative to improve weather and digital advisory services for farmers and herders, as well as a coordinated effort with the World Bank to strengthen agribusiness and fresh produce markets in Papua New Guinea.
Further initiatives announced include the operationalization of the ADB–CGIAR Clearinghouse Facility, supported by the Gates Foundation, to integrate innovative agricultural solutions into low-carbon farming portfolios, and the launch of a regional collaboration platform with the Food and Agriculture Organization and other partners. ADB will also issue guidance on natural capital to scale nature-positive investments, reinforcing its commitment to sustainable and climate-resilient food systems across Asia and the Pacific.
