Nourishing the Future: Re-exploring Pathways from Diets to Agriculture and Nutrition 21 August 2025 The webinar discussed how agriculture and food systems must shift from a production-focused approach to one that prioritizes healthy, sustainable diets. Nearly 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet, and poor diets are a major driver of disease and malnutrition. Evidence shows diets remain dominated by staples with low intake of nutrient-rich foods, while ultra-processed foods are rising, and most households, including rural farmers, source food mainly from markets. Improving diets therefore requires coordinated action across the food system, including agricultural diversification, stronger value chains, supportive policies, and cross-sector collaboration. Key insights from the webinar include: Shift food systems toward healthy diets: Move from a “farm-to-plate” to a “plate-to-farm” approach, focusing on what people actually eat and addressing affordability, accessibility, availability, and desirability. Food environments shape diets: Even rural households rely on markets, where staple-heavy diets and rising ultra-processed food consumption highlight gaps in access to diverse, nutritious foods. Integrated solutions are essential: Transforming food systems requires coordinated, cross-sector actions; nutrition-sensitive agriculture, social protection, school feeding, digital tools, and climate-resilient policies. Program and Learning Materials 21-08-2025 Session / Activity Title Speaker(s) From Understanding Diets to Agriculture Investments This presentation discussed how shifting dietary patterns are reshaping agricultural demand and opening opportunities to promote healthy, sustainable… Purnima Menon Disclaimer The views expressed on this website are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) or its Board of Governors or the governments they represent. ADB does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this publication and accepts no responsibility for any consequence of their use. By making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area, or by using the term “country” in this document, ADB does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Event Coordinator/s Tomoko Kato ADB Organizer/s Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office Read Also AFNR Community Site Partner Organization/s International Food Policy Research Institute Topics Health