The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Declaration of the International Year of Rice (IYR) in 2004 focused the world’s attention on the crop that drives millions of people’s livelihood strategies in Asia. Smallscale farmers in Asia and the Pacific grow and consume about four-fifths of the world’s rice. Regional export objectives drive rice production strategies, but simultaneously rice producing small farmers face challenges of economic viability and food security. The changing global situation, marked by increased economic integration, open trade formulae and technological advances, presents opportunities and threats to smallscale rice producers. Hence, an element of the regional strategy developed by the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (FAO/RAP) focuses on supporting the sustainable development of rice-based production systems for food security and poverty alleviation. Subsistence rice farming systems depend on family labour, particularly women’s labour. Women constitute the key human resource in rice livelihood systems, though this reality seldom is recognised when developing agriculture support systems to assist farmers.
The Declaration invites FAO to facilitate implementation of the IYR in collaboration with development partners. FAO is observing the IYR by organising events and developing information products that highlight the central place of rice in food security and its importance in livelihood strategies for poverty reduction. FAO/RAP organised an expert consultation to highlight the importance of women’s role in rice livelihood systems as globalisation and new technologies take hold. The consultation facilitated multi-sectoral dialogue on rice livelihood systems including the effect of economic realities and technological changes on gender roles and gender constraints. It generated recommendations that are country specific and relevant to the regional situation.
This report summarises the papers presented and recommendations generated by experts from 12 countries in the region. The report will serve FAO as a resource material highlighting gender issues in rice livelihood systems. We hope that this publication will contribute to an understanding of women’s unique place as producers and consumers in rice-based livelihood systems, and will help reinforce strategies that assist rural women’s efforts to achieve food security in the region.
He Changchui
Assistant Director-General and
Regional Representative
FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific
Bangkok, Thailand
July 2004
