23/05/2025

At the 58th Annual Meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in May 2025, the urgent need to transform agrifood systems to be sustainable, inclusive, and resilient took centre stage. FAO highlighted the critical urgency of this transformation across Asia and the Pacific, where agriculture, nutrition, water, nature, and livelihoods are under mounting pressure. Throughout the four-day gathering, discussions revolved around driving inclusive, resilient, and nature-positive investments for lasting change. 

High-Level Leadership Driving Multilateral Solutions 

Building on this call for transformation, the ADB Annual Meeting brought together global leaders to shape a path forward. FAO Director-General QU Dongyu participated in a high-level session “Transforming Food Systems for the Future of Asia and the Pacific” hosted by ADB President Masato Kanda, convening senior leaders, including the heads of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the World Food Programme (WFP), with prominent international experts such as 2019 Nobel Laureate in Economics, Professor Michael Kremer.  

“We are at a critical juncture,” said Director-General QU. “Around the world, we face complex and interconnected challenges that directly impact food security and access to healthy diets.” 

The urgency is clear: some 733 million people experienced hunger in 2023, and approximately 2.8 billion people could not afford a healthy diet in 2022. To address these challenges, the Director-General called for bold and coordinated action to transform global agrifood systems to be more efficient, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable. 

A United Nations, United on Food Security 

The sense of urgency was echoed by the wider UN family. The three Rome-based Agencies (RBAs) – FAO, IFAD, and WFP – delivered a united call to action for transformative investments in food systems.  

IFAD President Alvaro Lario highlighted the importance of mobilizing the private sector, citing IFAD’s new nutrition bond as an example of innovative financing. WFP Executive Director Cindy McCain stressed the need to combat malnutrition through food fortification, stronger value chains, and expanded school feeding programmes.  

The collective message was clear: the transformation of food systems is not only a development priority – it is an economic imperative.  

Building Momentum Through Partnerships and Purposeful Investment  

Translating advocacy into action, the ADB stepped up with a bold financial commitment. The Bank  announced plans to significantly scale-up of its food and nutrition security investments to USD 40 billion by 2030. The programme will support food systems transformation in Asia and the Pacific by modernizing agricultural value chains, enhancing access to affordable, nutritious food and investing in soil health and biodiversity conservation. It will also promote the use of digital technologies and data analytics to strengthen decision-making across the food system. 

A major milestone at the Annual Meeting was the signing of a new Framework Agreement between FAO and ADB, which aims to strengthen cooperation in designing and delivering large-scale investment projects, while also paving the way for expanded cooperation between the two organizations in technical assistance and emergency response. Going forward, the renewed FAO-ADB partnership will build on successful joint work in countries including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Indonesia, where collaborative efforts have already shown impact.   

“Development Banks like the ADB can play a pivotal role in leveraging capital for high-impact, scalable solutions,” added FAO Director-General QU. “Let’s work together to offer hope and improve lives.” 

Collaborating for Inclusive, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Food Systems 

In other events at the Annual Meeting, Chief Economist Máximo Torero spoke at “Farmer-Industry Partnerships for Food Security,” where he emphasized the importance of linking smallholders to equitable, efficient value chains.  

Meanwhile, at “Heat-Proofing the Future: Solutions that Build Women’s Resilience to Extreme Heat,” FAO’s Deputy Director for the Inclusive Rural Transformation and Gender Equality Division, Lauren Phillips, highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate extremes on rural women. 

These sessions aligned with the broader agenda of the ADB Annual Meeting and its four priority areas: food systems transformation, digital transformation, energy transition, and innovation for resilience. FAO’s engagement – together with the RBAs and other UN agencies such as the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) – underscored the potential of multilateral collaboration to drive impact at scale.  

Nature is not only the foundation of agrifood systems, it is the foundation of economies. With strengthened partnerships and shared ambition, FAO and ADB are well-positioned to turn today’s complex challenges into tomorrow’s scalable, sustainable solutions. Together, a future in which agrifood systems nourish people, sustain nature, and create lasting opportunity, is within reach.