Asian Development Bank surpasses $14 billion food security commitment, expands food system support
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has surpassed its $14 billion commitment to strengthen food security in Asia and the Pacific during 2022–2025, while advancing a broader agenda to transform the region’s food systems through additional funding and expanded partnerships. ADB delivered more than $14 billion from 2022–2025, reaching 62 million farmers and creating over 500,000 jobs, according to a press release. The announcement was made on 17 March 2026 during the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum 2026 at ADB’s Manila headquarters.
In May 2025, ADB announced its ambition to mobilize $40 billion through 2030 to support stronger food systems. The organization will provide $26 billion in additional food security financing from 2026 to 2030, complemented by expanded private capital mobilization and strategic partnerships. ADB’s food systems transformation agenda moves beyond standalone sector interventions toward integrated food systems solutions that will strengthen livelihoods, support private sector participation, and enhance climate resilience across agrifood value chains.
The investment programs in food security include 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 food systems forum discussed national transformation platforms, including the Indonesia Food Systems Investment Platform, the Philippines Agribusiness Investment Vehicle, and the India Rural Prosperity and Resilience Program. ADB aims to reach more than 190 million smallholder farmers by 2030.
ADB President Masato Kanda said, “Food systems in Asia and the Pacific are at a turning point. Now we are scaling up to a $40 billion agenda through 2030 to transform food systems so they nourish people, protect nature, and generate inclusive rural growth and employment.”
At the forum, President Kanda witnessed the signing of cooperation agreements between ADB and the World Food Programme on integrating nutrition into food systems, and between ADB and Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries to advance food system transformation across Asia and the Pacific.
Additional initiatives announced during the forum include a memorandum of understanding with the AIM for Scale Initiative, in partnership with the Gates Foundation and the International Affairs Office of the Presidential Court of the United Arab Emirates, to advance weather and digital advisory services for farmers and herders. ADB will launch an ADB–World Bank coordinated approach to support agribusiness and fresh produce markets in Papua New Guinea, and will issue a guidance note on natural capital to scale nature-positive investments. ADB is a leading multilateral development bank founded in 1966 and owned by 69 members—50 from the region.