“Rice science for a better world” is helping farmers in developing countries produce more food despite having limited land and using less water, labor, and chemical inputs, while at the same time preserving the environment. This is the thrust of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

IRRI is an autonomous, nonprofit, agricultural research and training center established in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations in cooperation with the Philippine government. Its headquarters are located in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, with offices in other countries.

The institute aims to improve the well-being of present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers, with focus on those with low income. Its objectives are to produce and circulate rice-related knowledge and technology of short- and long-term environmental, social, and economic benefit to help and enhance national rice research and extension systems.

IRRI’s strategy is comprised of five interdisciplinary research programs. These are anticipatory research initiatives exploring new scientific opportunities; conservation and responsible use of natural resources; sharing of germplasm, technologies, and knowledge; participation of women in research and development; and partnerships with farmers, farming communities, research institutions, and other organizations that share their goals. The principles that guide their research agenda are poverty alleviation, sustaining natural resources in spite of increasing populations, fast-tracking scientific and technological interventions, fostering research and development linkages, and reducing costs in program implementation.

IRRI has a core of scientific and support staff, 50 of whom are internationally-recruited scientists. A number of these scientists are also posted to other rice-producing countries such as Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, China, and Thailand. The institute is governed by an independent Board of Trustees, headed by Director General Robert Zeigler.

IRRI is backed by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), of which it is part. The CGIAR is co-sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the World Bank. IRRI is also supported by governments, agencies, and foundations.

The institute is contributing its efforts towards meeting six of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, and these are to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empower women, reduce child mortality, improve mental health, and ensure environmental sustainability. IRRI also faces the future challenge of addressing the adverse effects of intensive rice cultivation on natural resources and the environment.

For more information, visit http://www.irri.org

Copyright © 2006. CropBiotech Net.