IRRI BOT Calls for “Wholesale Reinvestment in Agriculture"

A long term crisis is in the offing unless a “wholesale reinvestment in agriculture” is made. This includes research into improved technologies, infrastructure development, and training and education of agricultural scientists and trainers. This warning was issued by members of the Board of Trustees (BOT) of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) following their meeting at Institute headquarters in Los Baños, Philippines.

BOT Chair Elizabeth Woods said that the global community needs to remember two things:  “First, that growth in agricultural productivity is the only way to ensure that people have access to enough affordable food. Second, that achieving this is a long-term effort. A year or two of extra funding for agricultural research is not enough. To ensure that improved technologies flow from the research and development pipeline, a sustained re-investment in agriculture is crucial.”

Email Adam Barclay of IRRI at a.barclay@cgiar.org for additional information.