ADB Report Urges to Prioritize Resilient Agrifood Systems for Food Security

The report notes ADB's nearly doubled support for agriculture value chains, which offers entry points across sectors for both sovereign and nonsovereign support.

A report from the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) Independent Evaluation Department (IED) underscores the need for prioritizing resilient and sustainable agrifood systems to fulfill the bank's goal of becoming a significant contributor to food security in the region.

Examining ADB's capacity to support rural development and food security within its operational plan, country partnership strategies, and portfolio, the report covers the evaluation period of 2017–2022, during which ADB invested approximately $33 billion in rural development and food security.

Emmanuel Jimenez, Director General of IED, remarked that while identifying rural development and food security as an operational priority under ADB's Strategy 2030 was appropriate, the strategy lacked clarity in defining specific objectives, mapping them, and implementing a robust methodology for tracking progress across ADB's sector teams.

The report notes ADB's nearly doubled support for agriculture value chains, which offers entry points across sectors for both sovereign and nonsovereign support. It highlights the potential for scaling up and widening impact through coherent support across sectors, improved agriculture performance, climate resilience, private sector partnerships, and collaboration with development partners.

Garrett Kilroy, leader of the evaluation team, emphasized the need for scaling up and better integration of private sector investments into ADB's broader support for rural development and food security. The report also stresses the importance of enhanced monitoring and reporting of results, with a particular focus on nutrition, an aspect currently receiving less attention.

With more than half of the world's hungry population located in Asia and nearly 1.9 billion people in the region lacking healthy diets due to poverty and food price hikes, agrifood systems, employing 40% of Asia's workforce, are crucial for addressing food security. The report presents recommendations for ADB to leverage its experience in fostering prosperous rural economies, reducing malnutrition, attracting private sector investments, and achieving food security among its member countries.