Remarks by World Bank Group President Ajay Banga at the AgriConnect Flagship Event during the 2025 Annual Meetings on October 14, 2025

Overview & Synopsis

This report discusses the remarks delivered by Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank at the AgriConnect Flagship Event during the 2025 Annual Meetings on October 14, 2025. He highlighted agriculture’s evolving role in development, emphasizing its potential to drive job creation, income growth, and food security. He noted that with 1.2 billion young people entering the workforce in developing countries, only a fraction would find jobs unless sectors like agribusiness are scaled. He said that the World Bank’s strategy focuses on infrastructure, policy reform, and private sector engagement. He outlined efforts to support smallholder farmers through finance, technology, and market access, aiming to double agribusiness investments and build resilient, digitally connected agricultural ecosystems globally.