News Category: Livestock Productivity

May 6, 2026 – This week on the sidelines of the ADB’s 59th Annual Meeting in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, the International Affairs Office at the UAE Presidential Court signed a US$1.5 million technical cooperation partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to scale agricultural innovations for farmers across eight countries in Asia and the Pacific. 

The new partnership will be operationalized by the ADB and AIM for Scale, building on a cooperation arrangement signed between both parties on March 19, 2026. It is part of a broader effort to align technical expertise, government leadership, and multilateral financing around scaling cost-effective agricultural solutions. The agreement is further strengthened by the support of the Japan’s Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific (JFPR).

Through this collaboration, AIM for Scale will work alongside ADB and government counterparts in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, Vietnam, Pakistan, Thailand, and the Maldives to translate evidence-backed innovations into investment-ready programs. These include weather forecasting for farmers, digital advisory services for agriculture, and livestock productivity solutions designed to improve farmer decision-making, productivity, and resilience.

AIM for Scale—supported by the UAE and the Gates Foundation—will provide technical expertise and coordination support to ensure these innovations are effectively embedded within ADB-financed operations and national delivery systems.

“International cooperation continues to play a key role in strengthening global food security,” said Advisor at the International Affairs Office of the UAE Presidential Court Khalfan Al Matrooshi. “Through Abu Dhabi’s AI Ecosystem for Global Agricultural Development, the UAE is convening the partners, expertise, and financing to make that possible. Today’s partnership is a testament to what international cooperation can deliver when global partners come together with shared purpose.”

By combining AIM for Scale’s evidence-first approach with ADB’s financing and country engagement, the partnership aims to close a persistent gap in agricultural development: ensuring that proven innovations reach farmers at the scale required to meaningfully improve livelihoods and food security.

Highlighting the importance of the collaboration, Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office at ADB, said: “Digital technologies, innovative financing, and improved fertilizer efficiency are critical to addressing the impact of recent shocks that have made millions more people go hungry, many of them in Asia and the Pacific. Collaborative agreements such as this one act as a catalyst towards integrated agricultural approaches – strengthening input systems, boosting productivity, and accelerating the transition towards more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable food systems”

Shigeo Shimizu, Executive Director representing Japan at the ADB Board of Directors, added: “Through the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific, Japan has been actively supporting initiatives that advance innovation, resilience, and digital transformation across the region. Our support for this initiative since 2024 reflects Japan’s strong and sustained commitment to promoting sustainable agriculture and strengthening food systems through innovation and partnership.”

“We look forward to collaborating with the ADB to ensure that millions of farmers across Asia and the Pacific have access to evidence-backed innovations that can meaningfully strengthen their livelihoods,” said Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale. “We are grateful to the UAE and JFPR for enabling this important work.”

Manila, Philippines — March 19, 2026 — The Agricultural Innovation Mechanism for Scale (AIM for Scale) and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration in scaling evidence-based agricultural innovations through ADB-financed programs across Asia and the Pacific.

For millions of farmers, access to timely information, productivity-enhancing solutions, and better services can significantly strengthen livelihoods. Yet too many promising agricultural innovations remain stuck in small pilots, reaching only a fraction of the farmers who could benefit. AIM for Scale–funded by the UAE’s International Affairs Office at the Presidential Court and the Gates Foundation–works to close this gap by identifying evidence-based, cost-effective innovations and assembling the technical expertise, partnerships, and catalytic resources needed to scale them. Through this cooperation, ADB brings its deep country engagement and financing capacity to translate these proven solutions into large-scale investments capable of reaching millions of farmers across Asia and the Pacific.

The agreement establishes a formal framework for cooperation between the two organizations, with the goal of helping governments integrate proven agricultural innovations into large-scale public investments and national development programs.

Under the arrangement, AIM for Scale and ADB will work together to scale high-impact agricultural solutions in areas including weather services for farmers, digital advisory services for agriculture, and innovations that improve livestock productivity, with the potential to expand collaboration into additional innovation areas in the future.

The agreement was signed during the Asia and the Pacific Food Systems Forum at ADB headquarters in Manila as part of a session focused on moving agricultural innovations from research and pilot programs into large-scale implementation.

“ADB is committed to supporting our member countries in transforming food systems and improving farmers’ livelihoods,” said Qingfeng Zhang, Senior Director, Agriculture, Food, Nature, and Rural Development Sector Office, in his opening remarks. “Working with AIM for Scale will help accelerate the adoption of proven innovations and strengthen pathways from research to large-scale investment.”

Nobel laureate Michael Kremer, who chairs AIM for Scale’s Advisory Panel and delivered the keynote address, highlighted the initiative’s focus on translating evidence into large-scale implementation. “AIM for Scale grew out of the work of the Innovation Commission for Climate Change, Food Security, and Agriculture, which identifies innovations with strong evidence of impact and cost-effectiveness. Together with AIM for Scale, we look forward to working closely with ADB to help bring these solutions to scale in the coming years in support of global food security.”

“Achieving meaningful improvements in farmers’ livelihoods requires moving beyond pilots to solutions that reach millions,” said Paul Winters, Executive Director of AIM for Scale. “ADB has long played a leading role in supporting large-scale agricultural transformation across Asia and the Pacific. By partnering with AIM for Scale, ADB is helping ensure that proven innovations are translated into major public investments capable of delivering impact for millions of farmers.”

The cooperation agreement builds on collaboration between the two organizations since 2024 and reflects a growing emphasis among governments and development partners on scaling innovations that deliver measurable improvements in farmer productivity, resilience, and incomes.

Scaling agricultural innovations that strengthen the livelihoods of millions of farmers requires more than promising ideas—it requires evidence, coordination, and pathways to large-scale implementation.

Today, we are pleased to share the AIM for Scale 2025 Annual Report, highlighting the progress made over the past year to help governments and partners scale agricultural innovations that work.

The report outlines advances across AIM for Scale’s Innovation Packages, including efforts to expand access to timely, actionable weather forecasts for farmers, advance digital advisory systems that reach farmers at scale, and initiate work on livestock productivity solutions.

It also reflects growing partnerships with governments, research institutions, and development organizations working to translate evidence into large-scale investments capable of reaching millions of farmers.

The past year demonstrated the growing momentum behind scaling agricultural innovations that deliver measurable impact for farmers.

We invite you to explore the AIM for Scale 2025 Annual Report to learn more about the partnerships, innovations, and country engagements shaping this work.

Read the full report HERE.