Partnering with Agribusinesses to Boost Climate Resilience of Smallholder Farmers in Asia and the Pacific

Agriculture is one of the most affected sectors by climate change. About $350 billion of investments are needed annually to transform the food and agriculture system to become greener and more resilient. Alongside its investment programs on agribusinesses, PSOD’s Agribusiness Investment Team provides technical assistance and training to farmers on climate-resilient agricultural practices.

Ron Lester Durante

Ron is currently working as a consultant at the Asian Development Bank, focusing on the application of machine learning algorithms for the compilation of socioeconomic indicators. Prior to ADB, he was a Science Research Specialist at the Philippine Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Management Bureau where he took part in the mapping of biomass resources, among his other tasks.  He earned his Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering specializing in farm structures and environment and Master of Science in Agrometeorology degrees from the University of the Philippines.

Samantha Kuzma

Sam is an Associate for the Water Program. She researches, develops, and applies water-related data for a diverse set of projects. She is part of the Water, Peace, and Security (WPS) project, which aims to enable timely and effective responses to water-related challenges in hopes of mitigating conflict. Her work on this project includes building a machine learning model to forecast violent conflict around the world. Besides WPS, Sam also works on the Aqueduct Project.