28 October 2019 ADB Headquarters, Manila, Philippines
Transformative Changes for Rural Prosperity and Nutritious Food
ADB’s Strategy 2030 that is aligned with the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) calls for urgent attention to meeting the challenges of poverty, food insecurity, and rural prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region.
The region’s population is expected to reach 4.9 billion by 2030—accounting for over 60% of the global population. The region is expected to maintain a robust annual GDP growth rate of about 6.5% over the coming decades. To supply sufficient, nutritious, safe and affordable food for much higher and prosperous population, the region will have to reckon with the fact that it accounts for just 35% of the global arable land that has to support 60% of the global population while both its land and water resources are under stress and in decline.
In the coming decade, what happens to farmer incomes, food security and rural development (rural youth employment in particular) in the region will determine if ADB’s Strategy 2030 operational priorities, specifically addressing the remaining poverty and reducing inequalities and commitments to SDG 1 (No poverty), SDG2 (Zero hunger), SDG 3 (Good health and well-being), and SDG 4 (Quality education), can be realized.
ADB’s Operational Priority 5: Promoting rural development and achieving food security under Strategy 2030 aims to assist developing member countries (DMCs) to increase agricultural productivity and profitability, enhance food safety, and improve climate and environmental resilience and sustainability. These objectives can only be met by adopting effective and farmer/gender-friendly policies and investments, climate-smart agricultural technologies, and catalyzing public and private sector investments in developing rural economies.
Objectives
The Rural Development and Food Security Forum 2019 (#RDFS2019) is a call to action for DMC governments to provide active leadership to generate rural prosperity and effective stewardship to land and water (fresh and marine) resources to ensure sufficient, safe, nutritious and affordable food production.
#RDFS2019 aims to seek knowledge—from global, regional and local stakeholders, experts and practitioners, including ADB staff and Management—on enabling policies, technologies and investments that will assist DMCs/ADB in the following key areas:
- Farming crisis with emphasis on transforming unprofitable farming to profitable farming with livable incomes and strengthening agricultural value chains;
- Malnutrition that still significantly impacts Asia and the Pacific with emphasis on meeting the malnutrition and food safety challenges to achieve ADB’s Strategy 2030 and commitments to SDGs;
- Transformative policies and technologies for rural prosperity to help overcome structural constraints and rural areas to become spaces of economic development, giving impetus to growth, modernized agriculture, and non-farm goods and services. farmer income crisis; and
- Cross-cutting issues on gender equity, climate change, natural resources management, use of high-level technologies, water, transport, energy, education, finance, regional cooperation and integration, and others to support food security and rural development in the region in the coming decades.
Activities
- Plenary sessions - The Forum will be organized in 8 plenary sessions without breakout sessions because all the topics are important for all participants to attend, reflect and propose the way forward. Information and communication technology (ICT) will be used to engage participants in real-time to actively take part in posing questions and making recommendations for the future actions by governments and ADB;
- Technology and Innovation Marketplace - Increase your awareness of innovative products and technologies, exchange ideas and solutions, and explore partnerships with the different exhibitors; and
- Online community - Share feedback, insights, and resources with fellow members before, during, and after the forum to sustain dialogues through the Facebook event page.
Target participants
The forum gathers participants from:
- Government and intergovernmental organizations in the Asia and Pacific region;
- Multilateral and bilateral development institutions engaged in agriculture and natural resources, rural development and food security;
- Private firms engaged in the agriculture and food business;
- Research and development institutions, think tanks, and centers of excellence in agriculture and natural resources;
- NGOs and civil society and advocacy organizations engaged in agriculture and natural resources; and
- Other individuals and organizations interested and/or engaged in agriculture and natural resources.
How to register
Registration to the RDFS forum is now closed. See guide for registration for confirmed participants.
Costs
While attendance to the event is free, ADB does not cover travel and accommodation expenses of participants.
Event organizers / partners
#RDFS2019 is organized with:
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
- International Atomic Energy Agency
- International Food Policy Research Institute
- International Fund for Agricultural Development
- International Rice Research Institute
- World Bank
- WorldFish
- World Food Programme
- World Vegetable Centre
Presentation materials
See presentation materials from this event on ADB Knowledge Events.