The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and global agricultural research network CGIAR, with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, launched a new initiative aimed at scaling up sustainable, climate-resilient rice production across Asia and the Pacific.
The program, announced under the new ADB–CGIAR Clearinghouse Facility, targets improved livelihoods for smallholder farmers while addressing rising environmental pressures.
ADB said it plans to invest up to $1.5 billion through 2030 in support of low-emission farming, water conservation, inclusive value chains, and better nutrition.
“Rice is essential to food security in Asia, supplying over a quarter of the region’s calorie intake, and half in Southeast Asia,” said ADB Vice-President for Sectors and Themes Fatima Yasmin. “For hundreds of millions of smallholder farmers, rice is not just food, it is their livelihood. Today, that livelihood is increasingly threatened by extreme weather and environmental degradation.”
Rice farming is a critical sector across the region but faces significant challenges, including declining productivity, water scarcity, and greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative aims to tackle these threats by promoting adoption of high-yield, climate-smart practices.
Initial projects are being developed in Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Pakistan, and the Philippines. The Clearinghouse will coordinate financing and technical expertise to implement programs aligned with CGIAR’s research and innovation in rice systems.
“This joint initiative will reinforce CGIAR’s strategic collaboration with ADB and scale up CGIAR’s innovations in rice systems and beyond,” said Yvonne Pinto, Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), a CGIAR center. “Together, we can drive sustainable and resilient transformation of the rice sector and transform the lives of millions of smallholder farmers.”
The initiative is part of ADB’s broader $40 billion commitment to transforming food systems by 2030, announced in May.
Business News Asia