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A turning point for agrifood investment in Asia and the Pacific

Published: 25 Jun. 2025, 00:04

Alue Dohong

The author is an Assistant Director-General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)

From the mountains of Bhutan to the shores of Tuvalu, countries across Asia and the Pacific are confronting a common challenge: transforming their agrifood systems to meet growing demands while safeguarding natural resources for future generations.

I have seen this challenge firsthand in my discussions with the national leaders managing shrinking arable land and rising food prices, and in conversations with local communities whose livelihoods depend on increasingly fragile ecosystems. The pressures are real and mounting. Climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss and water scarcity are all putting an enormous strain on agrifood systems, the interconnected activities and actors involved in getting food from its origin to our plates, including how food is grown, harvested, processed, packaged, transported, distributed, traded, bought, prepared, eaten and eventually disposed of.

Delegates arrive in the plenery hall for the COP16 biodiversity conference at the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, on Feb. 25. [AFP/YONHAP]

At the same time, there is a growing sense of opportunity. Across the region, governments are advancing bold visions that emphasize efficiency, inclusion and resilience.

This is precisely the focus of the Hand-in-Hand Investment Dialogue for Asia and the Pacific, convened by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), taking place from June 18 to 20 in Bangkok. More than just an event, the Dialogue brings together ministers, state secretaries, national planners, international financial institutions, private sector partners and development partners to align national priorities with concrete investment opportunities.

At the core of this effort is FAO’s Hand-in-Hand initiative, a country-led, data-driven approach designed to accelerate inclusive, market-based agrifood systems transformation. Countries including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Fiji, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tuvalu and Vanuatu have already embraced this model, bringing both their proposals and political commitment to the table.

In Nepal, through the Hand-in-Hand Initiative, targeted investments are helping smallholder farmers adopt climate-resilient rice varieties and improve irrigation systems, increasing both yields and income stability despite changing weather patterns. Meanwhile, in Papua New Guinea, similar efforts are driving diversification into high-value crops, improving resilience to market and climate shocks.

The timing could not be more urgent. As many countries transition from Least Developed Country status, concessional finance is becoming scarce, while traditional donor support continues to decline, even as the scale of the challenges continues to grow.

With strategic investment, countries can restore degraded landscapes, protect vital ecosystems and move toward low-emission agrifood systems that are resilient and sustainable. But we also know that investment alone is not enough. The Dialogue is designed to strengthen partnerships and connect national leadership with development banks, climate finance mechanisms and private sector innovators to build the policy framework, institutional capacities and digital innovations necessary to translate investment into long-term impact.

Newly-appointed FAO Director-General, China's Qu Dongyu acknowledges applause on June 23, 2019 following the delegates' vote during the FAO 41st Conference at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) headquarters in Rome. [AFP/YONHAP]

Most importantly, this Dialogue is only the beginning. It will serve as a launchpad for continued engagement leading up to the Hand-in-Hand Investment Forum at the World Food Forum in Rome this October, where countries will present fully developed investment cases to a global audience of financial institutions and development partners.

Over the years, the region has demonstrated a remarkable capacity to achieve transformative change, from economic growth to advances in health, education and poverty reduction. With coordinated action, political commitment, and the right investments, agrifood systems can follow this same path — delivering improved nutrition and resilience for generations to come.

The time to act is now. The future of food and the livelihoods of millions depend on it.