"The Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP) is a multilateral mechanism for the assistance of the implementation of pledges by the G20 in Pittsburgh in September 2009, which is designed to improve incomes and food and nutrition security in low-income countries by boosting agricultural productivity. In March 2017, the GAFSP Steering Committee approved to allocate USD 27 million to Myanmar, of which USD 22 million will be administered by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and USD 5 million by FAO for technical assistance. The GAFSP initiative is a joint effort of ADB and FAO building on complementarities and synergies in the interventions by the two agencies. In the Central Dry Zone( CDZ) of Myanmar, nearly 25 percent of the population is under the national poverty line and about 50 percent are landless. The CDZ rural poor are also affected by a high incidence of malnutrition and food insecurity. Stunting and wasting rates each range between 20-30 percent, with the highest incidence in dryland farming zones compared with flood plain and irrigated areas. Over 50 percent of women age 15-49 years old are anaemic. The theory of the implementation of the project is based on a premise that a market-driven approach is needed to help smallholder farmers sustainably increase their income and improve their livelihood, food security and nutrition. For the development of agriculture, tailored technical, infrastructural, credit access and organizational support are supposed to increase the productivity and product quality of smallholder producers and disadvantaged rural groups involved in commercially-oriented pulse and oilseed production and marketing systems. Those improved access and support also benefit them from increased inclusion in profitable agriculture value chains through business relationships with other private actors (traders, processors, exporters, etc.). As a results, the coordinated access and supports meet market demands and, overall, contribute to national agricultural growth..."