THE INTERNATIONAL
YEAR OF RICE -- 2004
Rice is the staple
food of almost half of the world's population, employs tens of
millions in jobs, and has an enormous impact on the environment.
Rice production is the world's important economic activity simply
because more than two billion of the world's poorest depend on
it. About 90 percent of the world's rice is produced and consumed
by small-scale farmers in low-income developing countries. Rice
has become an important element of national food security in an
increasing number of developing countries. Often rice accompanies
every meal, and it is an integral part of religious ceremonies,
festivals and holidays. In high-income countries in the Near East,
Europe and North America, its consumption is popular because it
is a healthy and tasty food. Especially, rice is the most rapid
growing food source in Africa.
Rapid acceleration
of rice production over the last three decades was a primary contributor
to improvements in world food security. However, there are still
800 million people suffering from chronic food deficits, more
than half of them reside in areas that are dependent upon rice
production for food, income, and employment.
The present challenge
of overcoming hunger, poverty and malnutrition
in rice-consuming countries and maintaining the productivity of
rice production systems while protecting the environment and health
of the people is far too great for any single country, organization,
or institution to handle individually. Thus, it is essential to
promote the awareness of, partnerships among stakeholders, and
the coordination of national, regional and global efforts to secure
sustainable rice production for food security and poverty alleviation.
In view of the
above, FAO has pursued the UN declaration on the International
Year of Rice since 1999. Following FAO Conference's adoption of
the Resolution on the International Year of Rice in 2001, the
57th session of the United Nations General Assembly declared the
year 2004 as the International Year of Rice (IYR) on 16-12-2002.
The UNGA also requested FAO to facilitate to implementation of
the IYR in collaboration with the CG centres and other international
agencies concerned.
THE 20TH SESSION
OF THE INTERNATIONAL RICE COMMISSION
The Twentieth Session
of the International Rice Commission was convened at the United
Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
(UN-ESCAP) in Bangkok, Thailand, from 23 to 26 July 2002. The
Meeting was jointly organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and
Cooperatives of Thailand and FAO. The Session was attended by
58 delegates from 27 Member Countries of the Commission, 5 observers
from 2 FAO Member Countries, and 28 participants from UN international
and regional organizations. The major recommendations of the Session
are:
Status of the World Rice
Market in 2002
1. Rice production should continue
to expand as the current consumption, which exceeds production,
is not sustainable and may, before long, lead to surging world
prices.
2. Rice-producing Member Countries
should adopt policies with the least distorting effects on the
world market.
3. Support to producers should
be provided preferably by facilitating the transfer of technologies.
Biotechnology for rice
breeding: progress and impact
4. FAO should increase capacity
building in biotechnology, relevant to rice improvement, in
developing countries and provide assistance in preparing bio-safety
regulations.
Nutritional contribution
of rice and impact of biotechnology and biodiversity in rice-consuming
countries
5. Existing biodiversity of rice
varieties and their nutritional composition needs to be explored
before engaging in transgenics.
6. Nutrient content needs to
be among the criteria in cultivar promotion.
7. Cultivar-specific nutrient
analysis and data dissemination should be systematically undertaken.
Conservation and use of
rice germplasm: an evolving paradigm under the nternational treaty
of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture
8. Member Countries (if they
have not already done so) should ratify, in the near future,
the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food
and Agriculture.
9. Member Countries should provide
full support to the funding of the Global Conservation Trust
and ensure effective conservation and exchange of the International
and National Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture.
10. FAO, in concert with National
Programmes and relevant IARCs, should facilitate the assessment
of plant breeding capacities in support of the Treaty and the
Global Plan of Action on Plant Genetic Resources.
Genetic diversity in rice
production: its past contribution and the potential of utilization
for sustainable rice production
11. Genetic variability in released
varieties should be increased and calls for greater use of existing
genetic variability for diversified varietal/hybrid development.
12. Public investment for respective
NARS and contribution to institutions dealing with rice should
be intensified.
13. Solid partnerships should
be encouraged to resolve issues related to easy access to genetic
resources and patent protection.
The second generation of
hybrid rice in China
14. FAO should organize training
courses on breeding of super hybrid rice (e.g. second generation
hybrid rice) which can outyield the existing rice hybrids by
15-20 percent.
15. Member Countries should strongly
support and promote the development of super hybrid rice.
Progress and issues in
development and use of hybrid rice in the tropics
16. IRRI and NARS should intensify
their research efforts to develop hybrid varieties with acceptable
grain quality using parental lines possessing higher out-crossing
rates and thus resulting in higher seed yields.
17. NARS should identify improved
management packages to maximize yield expression of hybrids.
18. Member Countries should consistently
provide well-defined policies and a strong financial commitment
for research in seed production and extension of hybrid rice
while ensuring the effective coordination of the same.
19. IRRI, FAO, APSA and China
should continue to work together to support NARS’ efforts
in technology generation, seed production and technology transfer
for the development and use of hybrid rice.
Quality seed production
in hybrid rice
20. Member Countries should encourage
the private sector to be increasingly involved in F1 seed production.
21. For rapid and large-scale
adoption of hybrid rice, the cost of hybrid-seed production
should be reduced by increasing seed yield with CMS lines, which
have a high out-crossing rate, and by using less GA3 through
combined use with alternates such as urea and other agro-chemicals.
The development and use
of Integrated Crop Management for rice production
22. FAO and Member Countries
should promote and develop RICM efforts through Farmers’
Field Schools, following the effective approach, such as Ricecheck
methods, to narrow the yield gap and enhance food security and
economic wellbeing, based on the concepts of Rice Integrated
Crop Management systems.
23. FAO and Member Countries
should formulate policies to encourage incentives and support
for the development and transfer of RICM.
Options for effective rice
water management
24. The linkages between field,
system and basin levels should be properly incorporated in the
management of irrigation systems and adapt to the changing service
needs of farmers.
25. Greater attention should
be given to the design and operation of irrigation and drainage
systems through a comprehensive re-training of irrigation experts.
26. Reforms should be implemented
to promote a service orientation in the irrigation sector and
allow an effective participation of farmers in the decision
making on system performance and service objectives.
Economic and environmental
impact of improved nitrogen management in Asian rice-farming systems
27. Current yield gaps should
be bridged, through improved crop and nutrient management in
favourable conditions, and liberating marginal lands, prone
to degradation and environmental risks from cultivation, should
receive greater attention in national action plans.
28. Country-wise and ecoregion-specific
analysis of N use levels and N use efficiency should be evaluated
to promote optimum management of N.
29. To facilitate deep placement
of urea N, a simple and inexpensive applicator should be made
available to farmers.
30. A firm commitment and provision
of resources from all stakeholders (governments, the fertilizer
sector, NGOs and international agencies) in transferring sound
N management technologies, along with integrated crop management
practices, through a bottom-up farmers’ participatory
approach, should be made to attain food security, maximize farmers’
income and reduce environmental pollution on rice-based farming
systems in Asia.
The need for improved weed
management in rice
31. Policy makers need to pay
more attention to the problems posed by weeds in rice as an
important constraint affecting rice productivity. Support to
weed research programmes and farmers’ training on improved
weed management in rice is required for further improvement
of rice production.
32. Weed management in rice can
only improve if farmers take into consideration the ecology
of major weeds and interaction with rice. Elements of weed ecology
(weed seed bank, behaviour of prevailing weeds, critical periods
of weed competition and others) should be an essential part
of the IPM curriculum in Farmers' Field Schools.
33. The potential risk of transfer of resistant trait from transgenic
herbicide resistant rice to weedy rice has been recognised and
farmers should be made aware of such a phenomenon.
Global integrated production
and pest management development
34. Member Countries should support
“resource-poor” research such as biological nitrogen
fixation and other soil fertility management issues, locally
produced pest management products and post-harvest processing.
35. Member Countries should support
large-scale adult education programmes using mechanisms such
as self-financed food security Field Schools that cover pre-planting
to post-harvest topics, processing, marketing, savings and credit
methods and other community-based programmes.
Recent initiatives on the
availability and use of aquatic organisms in rice-based farming
36. Member Countries should promote sustainable development
of aquatic biodiversity in rice-based ecosystems and policy
decisions. Management measures should enhance the living aquatic
resource base. In areas where wild fish are depleted, rice-fish
farming should be considered as a means of enhancing food security
and securing sustainable rural development.
37. Attention should be given
to the nutritional contribution of aquatic organisms in the
diet of rural people who produce or depend on rice.
An overview of rice post-harvest
technology: use of small metallic silos for minimizing losses
38. Suitable technologies, such
as a small metallic silos, should be widely promoted for reducing
post-harvest losses.
39. Resources and policies should
be adequate to promote appropriate rice drying, particularly
in humid and tropical areas.
40. Member Countries should give
priority to rice-processing technologies in order to add value
and thereby increase income generation.
Challenges, innovation
and change towards rice-based food security in Sub-Saharan Africa
41. WARDA should continue its
commitment towards the development of NERICAs and related technologies,
including the use of cheap phosphate and legumes in rotation
with NERICAs. This will be accomplished through the support
of the recently established African Rice Initiative (ARI).
42. WARDA should continue to
develop and fine-tune the extension-led PVS (participatory variety
selection) to expand the outcome of the research-led PVS to
the national extension services, NGOs and large number of farmers.
In addition a participatory plant breeding (PPB) approach will
be developed to involve farmers during the early stages of WARDA’s
breeding programme to better respond to site-specific problems.
43. WARDA should continue its breeding efforts to develop high-yielding,
short-duration cultivars with resistance to major African stresses,
principally RYMV and AfRGM.
44. WARDA should continue to
focus its attention on the lowland rice ecology with high potential
for intensification and diversification. WARDA will continue
its efforts on improved water control taking into account the
major driving forces such as population pressure and market
forces.
45. WARDA should continue to
develop and extrapolate Integrated Rice Management (IRM) practices
with special attention to adaptation to low and medium input
lowland ecologies, including more efficient use of available
resources, conservation of bio-diversity and keeping dependencies
on external systems to a reasonable minimum.
46. WARDA should continue to develop and fine-tune a participatory
learning and action research (PLAR) approach for IRM. PLAR is
a social learning process that will lead to the development
of a curriculum for farmer learning and facilitation of farmer
learning.
47. WARDA should continue to
assist in the set up and development of farmer networks and
stakeholder platforms, including research on human and social
capital development.
Rice development strategies
for food security in Africa
48. Member Countries should foster
alliances and dialogues among diverse stakeholders for shaping
policy decisions and action plans with a shared vision.
49. Member Countries should promote,
inter alia, farmer-participatory research and extension, focusing
especially on high-potential hydromorphics and inland swamps
in order to address low yields and improve national food security.
Sustainable and diverse systems such as rice-fish, rice-fish-vegetable,
rice-legume, rice-vegetable and no-till rice rotation systems
should be emphasized.
50. As upland rice will remain important for food security for
some time, improved technologies such as the use of NERICA varieties
and cropping systems that enhance soil fertility, such as rotations
and associations with food legume and leguminous cover crops,
should be promoted by Member Countries.
51. Member Countries should give
special attention to promoting home and especially community-level
post-harvest enterprises by facilitating training and access
to threshers, mini-mills, silos, baggers, etc.; emphasizing
opportunities to improve the roles and productivity of women
in post-harvest activities is of great importance.
52. Member Countries should promote,
when possible, community-based seed production of improved varieties
and facilitate the effective marketing and distribution of seed
with quality assurance processes and regulations. Women’s
groups should be fostered and supported to participate effectively
in such initiatives.
53. Member Countries should promote
establishment of farmer organization and facilitate their diverse
programmes through mechanisms for joint planning, information
exchange and self-funding.
54. FAO should promote the exchange
of information through its diverse normative activities and
facilitate technology exchanges within the region and from outside
the region.
55. WARDA and FAO should jointly
promote NERICA and other improved varieties throughout Africa.
56. The IRC should expand its
role in sensitizing bilateral and multi-lateral donors to support
land and water development programmes in African Member Countries.
New rice technologies and
challenges for food security in Asia and the Pacific
57. Research and development
of rice technologies should take into consideration the development
stage of national economies.
58. Initiatives such as improved
quality, organic agriculture and genetically modified rice should
be supported within these various development contexts.
59. FAO should coordinate a study on social acceptability of
genetically modified rice in Member Countries.
60. FAO should urge Member Countries
to strengthen infrastructure for biotechnology research in rice
in the public sector and integrate upstream biotechnology research
with downstream research on breeding of improved varieties.
Strategies to sustain and
enhance Asia-Pacific rice production
61. Integrated crop management
for the rice crop and the farming system should be used to maintain
and build on the gains in yields made to date and by expanding
IPM programmes, yield gap bridging and use of farmer participatory
methodology, such as the Ricecheck system.
62. Conventional breeding, including
biotechnological techniques, should be used
to increase rice yield potential and improve grain quality.
63. Water use efficiency, sound
soil and nutrient management practices, and other practices
that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions, should be encouraged
to minimize the impact of rice farming practices on the environment.
64. Appropriate funding should
be provided to support the three above-mentioned strategies
to achieve their goals.
Strategy for sustainable
rice production in Latin American and the Caribbean
65. The yield gap is apparent
in all irrigated rice production areas, and bridging the yield
gap represents the most immediate opportunity for increasing
rice production in the LAC. Priority, therefore, should be given
to the development of human capacity and expertise on the development
and transfer of Rice Integrated Crop Management for improving
productivity, reducing costs and minimizing environmental pollution.
66. Support should be given to
the development of self-taxation systems among producers and
processors to generate funds for rice research and technology
transfer, especially on RICM.
67. Resources should be pooled
among countries for the generation of improved genetic materials
and assistance in crop management; especially via FLAR (Latin
America Fund for Irrigated Rice).
68. Rice should be classified
as a sensitive commodity.
Recommendations presented
by Member Countries of the Near East
69. The International Rice Commission,
FAO and other institutions should provide support to the building/training
of manpower and expertise in the fields of hybrid rice production
and integrated crop management through the following activities:
a) Provide continued support
to the building/training of manpower and expertise on hybrid
rice production technology and rice integrated crop management
system whereby Egypt takes the lead institution in these technical
areas.
b) Organize an Expert Consultation
in the year 2003 on the transfer of hybrid rice technology
and the rice integrated crop management system for food security
in the Near Eastern countries.
70. Member Countries should promote
variety improvement, industrial rice processing for rice grain
quality, rice milling and eating/nutritional quality to improve
rice trade and marketing in the world.
Other Matters
71. The Commission confirmed
its support to the efforts of Member Countries and FAO with
a view to having the United Nations declare the Year 2004 as
the International Year of Rice.
INTERNATIONAL
RICE CONGRESS
16-20 September
2002, Beijing, China
Rice is the staple food of around half of the
world's population, provides employment for tens of millions
of people, and has an enormous impact on the environment. Rice
production has been described as the world's single most important
economic activity; not because of its importance to the international
economy, or how it may change the future, but simply because
more than two billion of the world's poorest people depend on
it almost completely. The International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI), the State Development and Planning Commission (SDPC),
the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and the Chinese Academy
of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) organized the inaugural International
Rice Congress 2002 from 16 to 20 September 2002 in Beijing.
Billed as the "first comprehensive event for the world's most
important crop", this congress had simultaneous conferences,
symposia, workshops and exhibitions based on the theme "Innovation,
impact and livelihood". The themes of the congress were:
• The application
of genomics, bioinformatics and modern plant breeding approaches
to rice improvement.
• Sustaining the
natural resource base in rice cropping systems.
• The impact of
rice technologies and policies on profitability, food security
and livelihoods.
The aims of the congress were to ensure rice
production continues to receive the recognition it deserves
and to promote the renewed effort and commitment needed to eliminate
poverty and hardship from the lives of future generations.
FOURTH
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON HYBRID RICE
14-17 May 2002,
Hanoi, Viet Nam
The International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in collaboration with the Ministry
of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD) of the Government
of Viet Nam, the China National Hybrid Rice Research and Development
Center (CNHRRDC) and FAO, organized the Fourth International Symposium
on Hybrid Rice in Hanoi, Viet Nam from 14 to 17 May 2002. The
theme of the symposium was "Hybrid vigour in rice for food security,
poverty alleviation and environment protection". Field visits
were organized to areas of hybrid rice cultivation and seed production.
The major presentations included papers on: innovations in breeding
methodologies; technological refinements in hybrid seed production;
use of biotechnological tools in hybrid breeding and seed production;
technology dissemination strategies; policy and institutional
support; socio-economic impact; and country reports.
THE
LAUNCHING OF THE AFRICAN RICE INITIATIVE
27 March 2002,
Yamoussoukouro, Côte D'Ivoire
The Governments of the West African
countries, in collaboration with WARDA, UNDP and FAO, organized
the Launching Ceremony of the African Rice Initiative, which was
presided by His Excellency, Prime Minister of Côte D' Ivoire.
The participants of the Ceremony include Ministers from West African
countries, Diplomatic Corps to West African countries, WARDA management
and scientists, and senior officers from other international agencies.
In summary, the Launching Ceremony highlighted the following points:
• Rice is no more a luxury,
but a staple food of the people in West Africa,
• The development and
transfer of NERICA varieties would contribute to the Food Security
and Poverty Reduction in the sub-region, and
• Sustainable rice production
in the region needs the formulation and implementation of appropriate
agricultural policies.
THE
THIRD TEMPERATE RICE CONFERENCE
10-13 March 2003,
Punta del Este, Uruguay
The Temperate Rice
Conferences are special as they are the only Conferences that
are devoted to rice research, development and production in temperate
climate areas around the world, where the planted rice varieties
are mostly japonica. The Third Conference was attended by more
than 500 participants coming from all-over the world. It was opened
by the Honourable Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Fishery and was closed by his Excellency, the President of the
Republic of Uruguay. The Conference included:
• a series
of symposia: (1) Rice Production Systems in Temperate Climates
and their Sustainability; (2) Hybrids - A new generation of
rice is born by RiceTec; (3) World Rice Economy and Market;
(4) Rice Genome, Beyond the Gene Maps; (5) Perspective on the
Development and Potential of Clearfield Rice by BASF, a multinational
and private company on agricultural chemicals; (6) New Horizons
in Rice Quality and Processing; and (7) Cold Tolerance Breeding.
There were 11 simultaneous Sessions: (1) Agronomy; (2) Breeding
and Genetics; (3) Economics and Marketing; (4) Environment and
Sustainability; (5) Extension and Education; (6) Diseases; (7)
Precision Agriculture; (8) Grain Quality; (9) Storage and Processing;
(10) Vertebrates and Invertebrates (pests, birds and fauna);
and (11) Weeds.
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