ADB to Accelerate Low-Carbon Agriculture Development in Sichuan, PRC

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (28 November 2025) — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a billion Chinese yuan ($140.89 million equivalent) loan to advance low-carbon, resilient agriculture in Sichuan Province, the People’s Republic of China (PRC).

The Sichuan Climate-Smart Low-Carbon Agriculture Development Demonstration Program will benefit more than 750,000 residents by enhancing agricultural resources and environmental assets, improving people’s living conditions, and providing sustainable livelihoods.

“This program is a strategic investment for ADB that will contribute toward a sustainable future for agriculture in the PRC,” said ADB Country Director for the PRC Asif Cheema. “By establishing a replicable model for low-carbon and climate-smart agriculture, we are not only building resilience for Sichuan Province but also creating a valuable and scalable blueprint for other regions and countries confronted by similar challenges.”

Sichuan is a major agricultural and grain-producing province that faces significant risks due to unsustainable practices, intensive land use, extensive terracing, and agricultural chemical overuse, which degrade soil and water quality. The increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events further exacerbate the negative impacts of human activities on communities and nature, undermine agricultural productivity, and threaten regional food security.

To address these problems, the program will employ a multifaceted approach. It will modernize farms and farming practices, integrate climate-smart agriculture and low-carbon production technologies, and adopt digital information services to assist farmers. The program will also help develop new policies and incentives, evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary carbon trading, and integrate emission reduction methodologies into local farming. It will promote the limited use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, strengthen rural communities’ resilience against hazards, and help the PRC meet its national carbon reduction and neutrality targets.

The program will protect and restore the environment by rehabilitating farmlands and replacing inefficient irrigation systems. It will also improve knowledge sharing and foster local expertise in low-carbon agriculture and rural development.

ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting inclusive, resilient, and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.