1. “Rice, Oryza sativa, is the staple food for half the human population,
and growing it is the single most important economic activity
in the world.”
Washington Post / The New York Times
August 4, 2000

2. The International Rice Research Institute
Reduce poverty and hunger,
improve health,
ensure environmental sustainability
through rice science.

4. The International Rice Research Institute
1960; Ford and Rockefeller Foundations, and the Philippine Gov’t
Today, 1,350 staff from over 34 countries
HQ in Philippines; 16 country offices
Funded by governments, philanthropies

5. Rice: The global staple
oldest food
crop
staple for billions (~ 50% of world;
>70% of poor)

6. The green revolution 1960s-70s yields ~1.5 tons per ha. Today

7. Most hungry people in Asia
Source: FAO

8. Population by 2040?
10b
7.5b

9. People like rice!
Global, per person
= 65 kg
Data Source: USDA, 2013

10. Additional global rice needs: 8 - 10 MMT/ year

11. Growth in rice yield has slowed
%/yr
Source of raw data: FAO, 2013

12. Worsening resource scarcity
Land
Labor
Water

13. Climate change WILL reduce rice productivity

14. Rice ready for climate change
salinity
drought
heat
submergence

15. Rice genetic diversity
120,000+ varieties of rice conserved in IRRI’s International Rice Genebank

16. Conserving traditional / heirloom rices

17. Climate Smart Flood-tolerant rice
Jul 31
India
Oct. 31
Now used by 5m++ farmers

18. Climate smart 17 days after flooding
Samba-Sub1
Samba
IR64-Sub1
IR49830 (Sub1)
IR64
IR42

19. Restoring ecosystem resilience to control against insect pests
Mekong delta,
Vietnam

20. More nutritious!

21. Global micronutrient deficiency zinc, iron and vitamin A
Affects over 2 billion, globally

22. Healthier rice pro-vitamin A; iron; zinc

23. Climate Smart Technologies
Alternate wetting and drying reduces water use by 30% without yield loss.

24. Particular attention to women stakeholders
Burundi: ex-combatant women trained in novel rice farming technologies
“In my family… we were eating only once a day… Now we eat twice a day”

25. Nutrient management products
Web
GSM mobile phone
Smartphone
Local Language real time interaction
Indonesia, Philippines: farmers increase returns 100$ per ha
Web and smart phone output
SMS output

26. Rice Knowledge Bank
Do live demo to find fact sheets in RKB 26

27. A brief history of the International Rice Congress
IRRI organized 1st Int’l Rice Research Conference (IRRC) in 1962
Past Int’l Rice Congresses (IRC)
Hanoi
New Delhi
Beijing
IRC2014
October Bangkok, Thailand

28. Around 2,000 attendees expected at IRC2014
Rice researchers and scientists
Traders, millers, manufacturers, transporters
Gov’t officials and donors

29. IRC2014: 5 principal events
29th Int’l Rice Research Conference
Forum on funding agricultural research
Council for Partnership on Rice Research in Asia (Ministerial Meeting)
International Rice Industry Exhibition
IRRI Global Rice Market and Trade Outlook Conference

30. - Ancient Chinese saying
"Precious things are not pearls and jade but the five grains, of which rice is the finest”
- Ancient Chinese saying

31. The International Rice Congress A Brief History
16 nations say rice is fundamental to their national economies and cultures: Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam (only Singapore and Brunei not included).
But no regular international events for the rice industry.
IRRI organized the first International Rice Research Conference (IRRC) in 1962.
No other major rice events have been REGULARLY organized in Asia except for the IRRC, until the IRC2002 in Beijing.

32. IRRI in Asia (Dates indicate first interactions including training)
Map of Asia showing IRRI offices and date when relationship started
1 Philippines (1960) 2 Bangladesh (1966) 3 Cambodia (1960) 4 China (1976) 5 India (1960) 6 Indonesia (1963) 7 Korea (1964) 8 Lao PDR (1968) 9 Myanmar (1965) 10 Nepal (1970) 11 Thailand (1960) 12 Vietnam (1963)

33. The Green Revolution in Asia
Yields approx.
1.5 t/ha
Famines predicted, slow growth
Today
Yields approx. 4 t/ha
Foundation for economic growth
Modern semi – dwarf variety: grain not biomass
Traditional rice: more biomass than grain

34. What is rice? Perhaps the oldest domesticated crop
Tremendously diverse
More than just food
Though it is the primary staple for billions (~ 50% of world, > 70% of poor)
And it grows under monsoon conditions
Where no other major crops can grow

35. Economic growth in Asia has been fuelled by rice
A staple food for 2.6 billion people
Contributes 30 to 70% to calorie intake
A major source of employment and income for rural households
A strategic commodity for economic growth, food security and political stability for such nations as China, India, and Indonesia
Low food prices enabled globally competitive wage rates

36. The rice of the future (in 5-10 years)
More nutritious – smarter, healthier people
Adapted to climate change: Done already - flood tolerance. Coming soon – salinity, drought and heat tolerance
Higher yielding: hybrids etc.
Less polluting: Improved pest and disease resistance; less fertilizer.
Apollo projects: C4 rice

37. World rice stocks – warning signs Supply, demand and prices?
All time low prices
Time of famines
Supply, demand and prices?

38. US urges food output boost to avert unrest
PUBLISHED: APRIL 19, 2009
THE US AGRICULTURE SECRETARY HAS WARNED THAT UNLESS COUNTRIES TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO SHARPLY BOOST AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTIVITY AND FOOD OUTPUT AND REDUCE HUNGER, THE WORLD RISKS FRESH SOCIAL INSTABILITY.
Europe warned about looming food import surge
Published: March 25, 2009
Former EU Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler last week called on Europe to significantly contribute to world food security by fulfilling its "production potential", as the continent moves from being a net exporter of foodstuffs to become a net importer.
Aust Government supports blueprint for
action on avoiding global famine
Published: April 23, 2009
A global famine is coming if private, philanthropic and public sectors fail to increase investment to boost agricultural production.