Rice, Oryza sativa, is the staple food for half the human population, and growing it is the single...

“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 TimesAugust 4, 2000

The International Rice Research Institute

Reduce poverty and hunger, improve health,

ensure environmental sustainability

through rice science.

• 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

The International Rice Research Institute

Rice: The global staple

• oldest food

crop

• staple for billions (~ 50% of world;

>70% of poor)

The green revolution

1960s-70s • yields ~1.5

tons per ha.

Today• yields ~4 tons

per ha.

Most hungry people in Asia

Source: FAO

Population by 2040?

10b

7.5b

196019621964196619681970197219741976197819801982198419861988199019921994199619982000200220042006200820102012

45

50

55

60

65

70Consumption per capita in kg/person

Philippines = 120 kg

Data Source: USDA, 2013

People like rice!

Global, per person

= 65 kg

Additional global rice needs: 8 - 10 MMT/ year

300

350

400

450

500

550

600

Asia Africa Americas Rest of World

Growth in rice yield has slowed

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

1970-1990 1990-2011

%/yr

Source of raw data: FAO, 2013

Worsening resource scarcity

Land

Labor

Water

Climate change WILL reduce rice productivity

Rice ready for climate change

drought

submergence

salinity

heat

Rice genetic diversity

120,000+ varieties of rice conserved in IRRI’s International Rice Genebank

Conserving traditional / heirloom rices

Climate Smart Flood-tolerant rice

India

Oct. 31

Now used by 5m++ farmers

Jul 31

Climate smart 17 days after flooding

Samba-Sub1

Samba

Samba-Sub1

IR64-Sub1

IR49830 (Sub1)

IR64

IR42

IR64

IR64-Sub1

Samba-Sub1

IR49830 (Sub1)

Samba

IR64

IR64-Sub1IR49830 (Sub1)

IR42

IR64-Sub1

IR64

IR49830 (Sub1)

IR49830 (Sub1)

IR42

Samba

IR42

Samba

Restoring ecosystem resilience to control against insect pests

Mekong delta, Vietnam

More nutritious!

Global micronutrient deficiency zinc, iron and vitamin A

Affects over 2 billion, globally

Healthier ricepro-vitamin A; iron; zinc

Climate Smart Technologies

Alternate wetting and drying reduces water use by 30% without yield loss.

Particular attention to women stakeholders

“In my family… we were eating only once a day… Now we eat twice a day”

Burundi: ex-combatant women trained in novel rice farming technologies

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

Rice Knowledge Bank

IRRI organized 1st Int’l Rice Research Conference (IRRC)

in 1962

Past Int’l Rice Congresses (IRC)

Hanoi - 2010

New Delhi - 2006

Beijing - 2002

IRC2014October 27-31 2014 Bangkok, Thailand

A brief history of the International Rice Congress

Rice researchers and

scientists

Traders, millers, manufacturers,

transporters

Gov’t officials and donors

Around 2,000 attendees expected at IRC2014

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

IRC2014: 5 principal events

"Precious things are not pearls and jade but the five grains, of which rice is the finest”

- Ancient Chinese saying

www.ricecongress.com