The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced an additional $26 billion in funding to strengthen long-term food and nutrition security across Asia and the Pacific, raising its total investment in food security initiatives to $40 billion for the 2022–2030 period.
This expanded support will fund a comprehensive, end-to-end program covering every stage of the food value chain—from production and processing to distribution and consumption. It aims to promote sustainable agricultural practices, create jobs, and ensure access to diverse, nutritious food while enhancing climate resilience and minimizing environmental impacts.
“Unprecedented droughts, floods, extreme heat, and degraded natural resources are undermining agricultural production and threatening both food security and rural livelihoods,” said ADB President Masato Kanda during the Bank’s 58th Annual Meeting in Milan. “This expanded support will help countries alleviate hunger, improve diets, and protect the natural environment, while creating opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses.”
The initiative builds on ADB’s September 2022 pledge to invest $14 billion by 2025 to address the region’s food crisis. As of the end of 2024, ADB had already committed $11 billion—approximately 80% of that initial allocation—with another $3.3 billion programmed for 2025.
The newly announced $26 billion includes $18.5 billion in direct ADB support for governments and $7.5 billion in private sector investments. By 2030, private sector contributions are expected to make up more than 27% of the overall funding, highlighting the crucial role of private enterprise in transforming regional food systems.
With more than half of the world’s undernourished population residing in developing Asia, the region faces urgent food system challenges, compounded by biodiversity loss, malnutrition, and the environmental toll of agriculture. Food systems account for 70% of global freshwater use, 50% of habitable land, and 80% of biodiversity loss, while employing 40% of the region’s workforce.
To address these pressures, ADB’s program will modernize agricultural value chains to improve access to affordable, healthy food, especially for vulnerable populations. Investments will focus on soil health, biodiversity conservation, and climate-resilient agriculture. The program also emphasizes the adoption of digital technologies and data analytics to improve decision-making across the agriculture sector.
As part of this broader effort, ADB is launching the Natural Capital Fund, a $150 million blended finance initiative supported by the Global Environment Facility, with anticipated contributions from the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program and other partners. The fund will support projects by farmers and innovators that sustainably manage, restore, and protect natural ecosystems in ADB’s developing member countries.
