ADB Distinguished Speakers Program: Driving Food Security through Digitalization of Food Supply Chains

Digitalization of both trade and financial flows can streamline access to finance enabling efficient and timely use of capital by swiftly directing it to pockets of need. Asia’s recovery from the pandemic and the current shocks present opportunities for MSMEs to digitalize without compromising on their traditional strengths in agribusiness, wholesale and retail trade, and their proximity to customers.

Toward Sustainable and Resilient Food Systems in Asia and the Pacific

Yasuyuki Sawada emphasized that COVID-19 reversed the gain in food security, highlighting the need for developing Asia to build back the food system better to reduce hunger and malnutrition. He presented how digitalization and technology can facilitate a post-COVID-19 transition to resilient and efficient food supply chains through institutional and legislative forms and targeted support to poor and smallholder farmers. He also highlighted that digitalization can also help social protection programs for better food security.