Progress towards achieving food security in many countries, particularly countries in Asia depending on food imports and remittances, had already slowed down and reversed in many cases due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is notable that the impact of the pandemic was more pronounced in many developing member countries of ADB because of the pre-existing challenges of their agriculture structure - climate change crisis, inefficient market and supply infrastructure, aging agricultural labor force, and declining agricultural resources. These effects have been compounded by the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

This session under the #ADBSustainableFood Webinar Series aims to discuss the increasing risks and challenges to food systems, how policy can contribute to addressing these, and offers knowledge and experience sharing of how countries were able to cope and implement initiatives toward resilience. The session was co-organized with the PRC Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund through the REG: Green and Resilient Rural Recovery through Agri-Food System Transformation in the Asia and Pacific Region.