Full Agenda

ADB President, All Plenary Session Speakers, Panelists, and Moderators

Addressing challenges to global food security, climate change, and biodiversity loss require coordinated efforts among stakeholders to deliver actions. The Leaders Forum builds a shared understanding of why it is necessary to make a fundamental shift in policymaking and investment priorities towards achieving sustainable and resilient agri-food systems.

Moderator:

• Shenggen Fan, Chair Professor, China Agricultural University, CGIAR System Board Member

Welcome Remarks:

The session discusses a regional foresight study on future scenarios of food systems in Asia and the Pacific by 2050 to bring out policy and financing implications while highlighting sector and thematic priorities that should be incorporated in regional and national level food security planning.

Group Photo: Session Participants

Moderator:

• Emmanuel Jimenez, Director General, Independent Evaluation Department, ADB

Keynote Presentations:

• High-Level Participants (PDR2-3, By Invitation)
  Host: Scott Morris, Vice-President (East and Southeast Asia, and the Pacific), ADB
• Forum Participants (Multifunction Halls 1-3)
• Exhibitors, Support staff (Mezzanine)

The food security agenda is inherently related to climate change, natural resources, and ecosystems. The keynote presentation will illustrate case studies to highlight policy lessons of failing to maximize the nexus gains, followed by a panel discussion on ways and means to maximize climate-food-nature nexus gains.

Group Photo: Session Participants

Moderator:

Signing Ceremony (By Invitation)

• ADB-CGIAR Partnership Agreement
  ADB K-Hub

Along the food system are farmers, input suppliers, food processors, distributors, wholesalers and retailers and many other players including financial institutions are also involved in the system. This session will focus on operational priorities to kindle and expand the opportunity to foster different forms of public- private partnerships in financing and managing food systems.

Group Photo: Session Participants

Moderator:

• Signing ADB-NABARD Partnership Agreement

Host: Yingming Yang, Vice-President (South, Central and West Asia), ADB

This session discusses the achievement and lessons learned from the ADB’s operation in AFNR sector including Strategy 2030 OP5 and $14 billion commitment to food security in September 2022. The session shares the takeaways of IFI Global Forum for Food Systems Transformation and discusses the partnerships to accelerate the food system transformation in Asia and the Pacific.

Group Photo: Session Participants

Moderator:

This session will share major takeaways from the forum and discuss follow-up actions.

Group Photo: Session Participants

Moderator:

• Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, Sector Group, ADB

Panelists:

Closing Remarks:

• Woochong Um, Managing Director General, ADB

• High-Level Participants (PDR 6, By Invitation)
  Host: Ramesh Subramaniam, Director General and Group Chief, ADB
• Forum Participants (Multifunction Halls 1-3)
• Exhibitors, Support Staff (Mezzanine)

The session will include three thematic breakout sessions on developing a matrix of programmatic interventions, Breakout session will be attended by ADB management and key government officials involved in project pipeline development as well as private sector and development partners. This session is open to all the forum participants.

Theme 1: Integrated River Basin Management and Coastal Resilience

Venue: Auditorium 1 
Group Photo: Session Participants

Moderator:

The session includes country/region breakout sessions facilitating the country/ regional level discussion on developing a matrix of programmatic interventions, Breakout session will be attended by ADB management and key government officials involved in project pipeline development as well as private sector and development partners. The participation to this session is by invitation only.  

This session will discuss several issues on Digitalization and Agriculture such as building national capacity in conducting assessments of digital readiness; implementing differentiated standards to ensure quality digital solutions; evaluating the impact of digitalisation in agriculture; and other relevant topics.

Moderator:

• Yixin Yao, Senior Research Fellow, ADB

Welcome Remarks: 

The session will focus on challenges in the Pakistan’s seed system and seed development and identify how the Seeds Without Borders can assist the country’s efforts on expediting climate-change resilient seed development by researchers and distributions for vulnerable groups such as smallholder farmers and women farm worker through “Seeds Without Borders” cooperation.

Moderator:

• Noriko Sato, Senior Natural Resources Specialist, ADB

Speakers:

This session will share insights and experiences from East Asia in addressing rural challenges and how infrastructure construction, talent cultivation, environment protection, living environment enhancement, and integrated rural-urban development affect this development.

Moderator:

Shingo Kimura, Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, ADB 

Speakers:

This session diagnoses challenges countries are confronting today; identifies gaps and deficiencies in addressing food security issues in the Pacific; explores solutions in the short-, medium-, and long term; and elicits ADB 's role in addressing these challenges.

Moderator:

• Jiangfeng Zhang, Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, Sectors Group, ADB

Speaker: 

The session will have a presentation highlighting finalist AI-driven solutions from the joint Moonshots for Development (M4D) AI for Climate Resilience in Rural Areas Innovation Challenge. Following the presentation, the session will dive into a vibrant panel discussion, and the floor will open for an engaging discussion involving the audience.

Moderator:

This session will describe several climate-smart agricultural solutions that were tested and applied in the field to reduce risk in farmers’ livelihoods and value chains at scale by managing and reducing the impact of variable weather and extreme events, particularly through enhanced digital services and innovative financial products.

Moderator:

• Liangzhi You, International Food Policy Research Institute 

Speakers: 

This session will emphasize the importance of building strong partnerships between CGIAR, ASEAN, and various stakeholders. Building on the examples presented, it will explore how science capacity and political will can be leveraged to create a resilient agri-food system, beyond pilots and projects, contributing to regional food and nutrition security.

Moderator

The session will provide a platform to discuss first-time data on financial flows from International Financial Institutions to food systems. It will provide an opportunity for an evidence-based discussion on IFIs financing to food systems.The session will also provide an opportunity to exchange on the value of collaboration between IFIs for periodic evidence on their financial flows to food systems to inform IFIs’ financing windows in support of countries most in need and provide a platform for IFIs’ synergies and collaboration on financing for food systems transformation.

This session will discuss various case studies on digital technologies and innovations in agriculture.

Moderator:

Takeshi Ueda, Principal Natural Resources and Agriculture Economist, ADB 

Speakers: 

This deep dive session aims to share knowledge about Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) method and discuss its integration into ADB projects.

Moderator: 

Takashi Yamano, Principal Economist, ADB

Speaker:

• Jongsoo Shin, Regional Representative of Asia, International Rice Research Institute

Panelists:

This session will share lessons and insights on horticultural development projects, horticultural standards, and wheat seed quality assurance from projects in Viet Nam, Cambodia, and Afghanistan.

Moderator:

Mischa Mannix-Opie, Executive Director, New Zealand G2G, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise 

Speakers:

This session aims to understand the development of the global high-tech agricultural university network, explore the interests in joining the network as regional hubs, and discuss contributions from international organizations, research institutions and private sector.

Moderator: 

Gi Soon Song, Director, Human and Social Development Sector Office, Sectors Group, ADB

Speakers: 

This session will discuss various case studies on digital technologies and innovations in agriculture.

Moderator: 

Monica Petri, Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, ADB

Speakers: 

The session aims to explore solutions that balance the need for efficient residue management with environmental responsibility and foster a collaborative approach towards sustainable agricultural practices.

Moderator:

• Noriko Sato, Senior Natural Resources Specialist, ADB

Speakers:

This session will share insights on the approach used by ADB to mainstream climate change risk assessment to inform investments predicated on robust evidence on current and future climate risks and emphasize the integrated approach to developing climate resilience-focused and stakeholder-centric investment projects for the Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector (AFNR) sector. It will also highlight the process and steps to identify actionable, scalable, and locally relevant interventions through evidence-based and participatory stakeholder engagements.

By leveraging their resources, expertise, and networks, philanthropic organizations and partnerships can play a transformative role in advancing food security goals and creating a more sustainable and equitable food system for all. In this session, 5 leading philanthropies and agriculture-focused partnerships outline their vision of building sustainable food systems for long-term food security.

Moderator: 

The session will share the evolution of rice market in ASEAN and food security policy and discuss the lessons learned from the architecture of ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and the implementation of APTERR program based on the outcome of the systematic review of APTERR. Follow-up actions to strengthen APTERR and other regional cooperation initiatives will be discussed during the session.

Moderator: 

• Xianbin Yao, Senior Advisor, ADB 

Speaker: 

The session aims to raise awareness about "Crane Rice and Ibis Rice" and share case study knowledge, and experiences to highlight its significant benefits of transforming to more sustainable production which after transition can still produce significant yields while increasing profits for farmers along with all the biodiversity and environmental co-benefits.

Moderator: 

Karen Grace Ochavo, Environment Officer, ADB 

Speakers:

The session will explore how multilateral development banks (MDB) and governments can invest in nutrition security by making investments in food security, and other areas that are “nutrition-smart”. The session will showcase tools like the Cost of Inaction, Value for Money, and Investment Cases, which can be leveraged by MDBs and governments for nutrition advocacy and decision-making.

Moderator:

• Wendy Walker, Director, SG-HSD, ADB 

Speakers:

This session will discuss the potential benefits of mechanization for climate-smart and competitive agriculture through showcasing the activities of three countries– the Philippines, Pakistan, and Nepal and sharing lessons learned from their experience of technical collaboration with the UNESCAP’s Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (CSAM) and its Asian and Pacific Network for Testing of Agricultural Machinery (ANTAM).

Moderator: 

The session will share the evolution of rice market in ASEAN and food security policy and discuss the lessons learned from the architecture of ASEAN Integrated Food Security Framework and the implementation of APTERR program based on the outcome of the systematic review of APTERR. Follow-up actions to strengthen APTERR and other regional cooperation initiatives will be discussed during the session.

Moderator: 

Shingo Kimura, Senior Natural Resources and Agriculture Specialist, ADB

This session will discuss innovations in water management and energy access that support food systems transformation in this key breadbasket region. It will also present a food system diagnostic for selected South Asian countries.

Speakers: 

This session will demonstrate the critical importance of putting nutrition outcomes at the heart of the food systems and climate transformation and discuss opportunities for unlocking finance for nutrition by using a food systems approach.

Moderator:

 Irina Zodrow, Partnerships, Financing and Networks Lead, Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement Secretariat

Speakers:

This session will discuss a more inclusive economic measurement system, set to revolutionize understanding and valuation of the environment in economic terms.

Moderator: 

• Cindy Malvicini, Deputy Director General, South Asia Department, ADB 

Speakers:

This session will highlight the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI)'s Country Strategy Support Programs (CSSPs) athat deliver holistic support for country-led development by building evidence, tools, and capacity for agricultural transformation at the country level. This session will highlight the functioning and influence of these Country Programs in four of the poorest countries in Asia and the Pacific, spread over four of its sub-regions.

Moderator: 

This session will share results from the first two years of Nature+ work in Viet Nam that show the linkages between nature-positive solutions and food security and its implications for the Asia-Pacific region.

Opening Remarks: 

• Kristin Davis, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute

Moderator: 

This session aims to develop joint policy responses to the health effects of agriculture and the environment. By bringing together policymakers and experts from government, think tanks, and universities, this discussion seeks to foster a shared vision for more health-friendly policies for rural communities, producers, and the general public.

Moderator: 

Yixin Yao, Senior Research Fellow, ADBI  

Speakers:

This session will explore the evidence and case studies of resilience measurement and impart lessons to practitioners on scaling and adapting market and food systems resilience measurement frameworks.

Moderator: 

• Shuchi Vora, Resilience Knowledge Coalition Lead, Global Resilience Partnership 

Speakers:

This session will present several analytical tools that can be used for monitoring the determinants of food security in Asia and the Pacific such as a Food Security and Nutrition Indicators Dashboard, Food Price Monitor, Food and Fertilizer Trade Restrictions Tracker, Food Price Shocks Tool, and Vulnerability to Global Price Shocks Dashboard.

Moderator: 

• Liangzhi You, Senior Research Fellow, FPM, IFPRI 

Speakers:

The session will focus on sharing knowledge and cases of Asian grassland restoration in terms of soil carbon and renewable energy; an overview of the carbon farming and trading policy in the region, and building common understanding among governments, communities, private sectors, and other stakeholders on the opportunities, cost-effectiveness, and multiple contributions towards achieving the regional Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) targets.

Moderator: 

This session will delve into key strategies and challenges for fostering healthier diets, with a particular focus on India. This session will convene a diverse panel of academics, industry leaders, and government officials to discuss the multifaceted aspects of food security and nutrition.

Moderator: 

• Yasmin Siddiqi, Director, Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature and Rural Development Sector Office, Sector Group, ADB

Speakers: