In a significant step towards bolstering food security and supporting millions of smallholder farmers, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), in partnership with the Consortium of International Agricultural Research Centres (CGIAR) and with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has launched a major initiative aimed at transforming rice production across Asia and the Pacific.
Rice, the staple diet for over half of the region’s population, is also a vital source of income for rural communities.
But, the sector faces serious threats from declining productivity, water scarcity, and its considerable carbon footprint.
Experts have warned that, without swift intervention, these issues could jeopardise food security and rural livelihoods.
“Rice is essential to food security in Asia, supplying over a quarter of the region’s calorie intake—and as much as 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. That livelihood is increasingly at risk due to climate change and environmental degradation," she said.
The newly launched initiative, anchored by the ADB–CGIAR Clearinghouse Facility and co-financed by the Gates Foundation, will promote the adoption of resilient, high-yield, and low-emission rice farming practices.
It will also support sustainable water use, inclusive value chains, and improved nutrition outcomes, particularly targeting vulnerable communities.
ADB has committed to investing up to $1.5 billion from 2025 to 2030 under this programme. This investment forms part of ADB’s broader pledge of $40 billion to transform food systems across the region by 2030, as announced earlier in May.
This joint initiative will reinforce CGIAR’s strategic collaboration with ADB and scale up CGIAR’s innovations in rice with partners like ADB and the Gates Foundation, we aim to drive sustainable and resilient transformation of Asia’s rice sector and positively impact millions of smallholder farmers.
Bangladesh has been included among the countries selected for initial project development, alongside Cambodia, the People’s Republic of China, Pakistan, and the Philippines.
Founded in 1966, ADB is one of the leading multilateral development banks, comprising 69 member countries, including 50 from the Asia-Pacific region.
The bank continues to drive inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth through strategic partnerships and innovative financial solutions.