THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RICE: BACKGROUND

Statement on the official launch^[1]

Dr Jacques Diouf
Director-General
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Mr Chairman,
Excellencies,
Honourable Delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a privilege for me today to be among you - the many individuals and representatives of countries and organizations dedicated to sustainable rice production - to launch the International Year of Rice 2004.

This is a singular event. The dedication of an international year to rice, a single crop, is unique in the history of the United Nations.

But first, why rice?

Rice is grown on all the continents of the world, except Antarctica. As a global food, it has a large influence on human nutrition and food security all over the world. It is the staple food for over half of the world's population. In Asia alone, more than 2 billion people obtain 60 to 70 percent of their caloric intake from rice and its derived products. Rice is the most rapidly growing food source in Africa.

Almost a billion households in Asia, Africa and the Americas depend on rice systems for their main source of employment and livelihood. About four-fifths of the world's rice is produced by small-scale farmers and is consumed locally. Rice systems support a wide variety of plants and animals, which also help supplement rural diets and incomes. Rice is therefore on the frontline in the fight against world hunger and poverty.

Rice is also a symbol of both cultural identity and global unity. The number of festivals, rituals, celebrations and recipes that are centred around this crop is noteworthy.

For all of these reasons, "Rice is Life."

In 1963, imminent food shortages and the threat of famine, especially in Asia, led to FAO's Freedom from Hunger Campaign. A major contributor to the campaign's success was the release of the high-yielding rice variety, IR8, by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in 1966. This resulted in the Green Revolution in many rice-producing countries in the three decades that followed. More food was produced and hunger and poverty were reduced. All this was made possible through the able leadership and guidance of the late Dr Robert F. Chandler, Jr., who was Director of the International Rice Research Institute at that time. I would like to take this opportunity to pay special tribute to Dr Chandler and his team and trust that IRRI, the West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) and other CGIAR centres will carry on his good work. I would especially like to mention the breakthrough obtained with NERICA rice which was developed by WARDA in the early 1990s, and which combines special traits from Asian and African varieties. Currently available varieties of NERICA are promising for rice production with low input management in upland ecosystems in West Africa.

Such work must continue, for today there are still 840 million people suffering from chronic hunger, over 50 percent of whom live in areas dependent on rice production for food, income and employment. Sustainable increases in rice production are necessary; however, rice production is facing serious constraints. The world population continues to grow, but land and water resources for rice production are diminishing. While the Green Revolution of the 1970s greatly alleviated the global burden of hunger in some parts of the world, these benefits have been levelling off. It is therefore time for the global community to work together to increase rice production in a sustainable way that will benefit farmers, women, children and especially the poor.

Global initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable agriculture development have been established over the years by many of the countries in this room today. These include the recommendations of the 1992 Rio Summit, which were elaborated in Agenda 21's chapter on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD); the 1996 Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action, the Millennium Declaration in 2000, the recent World Conference on Sustainable Development, and the World Food Summit: five years later, at which governments reaffirmed their goal to eradicate world hunger.

I see the International Year of Rice 2004 as a powerful opportunity for the global community to implement these initiatives.

The strategy for the International Year of Rice is simple yet ambitious. By promoting the establishment of National Committees for rice development, the Year will act as a catalyst for country-driven programmes throughout the world. The aim is to engage the entire community of stakeholders, from rural farmers to the scientific institutions that mapped the rice genome, in the mission to increase rice production in a manner that promotes sustainability and equity. Many member countries have already formed National Committees for the International Year of Rice and they will serve as the dynamic link between our international vision and the practical realities in local people's lives.

At the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, we will build on the lessons of the Telefood Campaign, whose objectives are closely in line with the International Year of Rice in terms of raising global awareness for increased food security. The Organization's Special Programmes for Food Security, being implemented in many low-income food-deficit countries, will complement and strengthen the International Year of Rice campaign.

The Year has already begun to gain momentum, and the spirit of collaboration has graced every preparatory action and implementation plan. Today, I am pleased to announce that the Year will hold Global Contests on Rice. Contest winners will be internationally acknowledged on the Rice 2004 Web site, and I take this opportunity to invite all countries to participate in this exciting event.

Just as the rice-based ecosystem includes innumerable, individual components, so too the International Year of Rice has come about because of the painstaking efforts of many women and men. I thank all those who have already contributed so much time, energy and thought to make the International Year of Rice a reality.

In particular, I wish to thank the Government of the Philippines for its original proposal to designate an International Year to rice and the 43 additional member countries that co-sponsored the initiative. The endorsement of the Year from all regions of the world gives me great hope that the International Year of Rice can meet its goals.

The International Year of Rice presents a unique opportunity for farmers, consumers, environmentalists, government ministries, international agencies and stakeholders from civil society to work together for a shared goal. The need for a sustainable increase in rice production affects everyone. We are all connected to the rice system, and by spreading awareness now we can ensure that the work of the International Year of Rice will reach far beyond 2004.

Therefore, I invite all of you to join me today in committing ourselves to the battle against hunger and the effort to improve the livelihoods of the world's poor. I invite your continued commitment to the sound management of our natural resources and the preservation of biodiversity.

This Year is our chance to improve food security, alleviate poverty and preserve the environment for the billions of people for whom Rice is Life.

I thank you for your kind attention.

Speech addressing the 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry^[2]

He Changchui
Assistant Director-General/Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, FAO

Excellencies, ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry,
Distinguished Delegates,
Colleagues, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a real pleasure for me to be here in Kuala Lumpur for the 25th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry. On behalf of the Director-General of FAO, Mr Jacques Diouf, I wish to sincerely thank the Chairperson of the Senior Officials Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry and the ASEAN Ministers of Agriculture and Forestry for inviting me to discuss the International Year of Rice 2004 today.

The year 2004 was declared the International Year of Rice because rice is the staple food for more than half of the world's population. Rice is grown on all the continents of the world, with the exception of Antarctica. In Asia alone, more than 2 billion people obtain 60 to 70 percent of their food energy from rice and its derived products. Rice has a large influence on human nutrition and the fight against hunger all over the world.

Moreover, almost a billion households in Asia, Africa and the Americas depend on rice systems for their main source of employment and livelihood. About four-fifths of the world's rice is produced by small-scale farmers and consumed locally. Rice is a central part of many cultures, and it is used in festivals, paintings, songs and religious ceremonies as a symbol of life, fertility and abundance. Some Asian countries even credit rice cultivation with the development of their civilization. It is remarkable that almost every culture has its own way of eating rice and that these different recipes are, in fact, part of the world's cultural heritage.

For all of these reasons, "Rice is Life."

A rice-based production system is a hub of biodiversity. Wetland rice fields are the habitat for a wide variety of terrestrial and aquatic organisms due to the continued presence of freshwater. For thousands of years, rural people have relied heavily on the existing biodiversity within rice-based ecosystems, and in many cases they enhance this biodiversity with cultivated plants, domesticated animals and aquaculture to secure their daily food supply and income.

Various kinds of livestock are supported by rice-based systems. Ducks feed on small aquatic organisms and weeds within the paddy fields, while buffaloes, cattle, sheep and goats graze on rice straw as their main food source. Rice bran, a by-product of rice milling, and low quality and surplus rice grains provide feed supplementation for livestock. The rice field is an agro-ecosystem that nourishes people, creates employment, generates income and supports many other forms of life.

The major role of this crop with regard to nourishment and livelihoods implies that stagnant rice production would be devastating to food security and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, the impact of rice production on natural resources is enormous. Therefore, we must work together to achieve a sustainable increase in rice production for long-term food security and human nutrition.

In 1999, the need to raise global awareness and promote concrete actions for sustainable rice development was formally expressed by FAO and the International Rice Research Institute, in their effort to have an international year declared. As many of you will remember, this was pursued by member countries and led to the submission and approval of a proposal for the International Year of Rice (IYR) at the thirty-first session of the FAO Conference in November 2001. On 16 December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly, at its fifty-seventh session, approved a draft resolution of the proposal submitted by the Philippine Delegation and sponsored by 43 member countries. The proposal reaffirmed "the need to focus world attention on the role that rice can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty in the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration".

The General Assembly invited FAO, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres, and other major stakeholders, both within the UN system and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), to facilitate the implementation of IYR.

The fundamental objective of IYR is to promote and provide guidance for an efficient and sustainable increase in rice-based production. The strategy is to engage the global community in establishing mutually beneficial activities, including information generation and exchange, transfer of advanced technology through education and extension, application of good management practices and promotion of a policy and regulatory environment conducive to rice development. By increasing global understanding of rice development constraints to be addressed and the opportunities for doing so among various stakeholders, immediate and long-term action is expected to enhance global food security and poverty alleviation. Recent developments in science and technology, as well as in global communication, offer new options and approaches for achieving IYR goals.

Increasing rice production in a sustainable way requires national level strategies. Each country has different rice needs, a different culture of rice, and perhaps different national priorities. The International Year of Rice, therefore, will only be effective if member countries form national organizing committees for the Year. These committees are a powerful tool in the public awareness and action campaign, as they will be able to access stakeholders at all levels, from the farmers in the field, to the consumers, to the international research agencies and the UN system. The establishment of National Committees will ensure that the International Year of Rice is not forgotten in 2005, but instead that enhanced rice production strategies are well integrated within national development policies.

The institutional environment for rice production has undergone major changes since the Green Revolution. Thirty years ago, the public sector dominated agricultural development. Today, the private and non-governmental sector plays a much greater role. This change is partially due to the fact that new developments, such as bio-technology, have created new challenges and issues within agricultural production systems. These challenges include disputes over the ownership of rice and agricultural technologies, especially genetic resources, the need to meet agreed-upon biosafety standards, and the need to promote education and awareness as to the environmental and human safety of the aforementioned developments. The breadth of these challenges involves a much larger community than the public sector alone, and the success of the Year requires participation from all stakeholders, including NGOs and the private sector.

To date, FAO has committed significant resources and energy from the 2003 budget towards the success of the Year and envisions these efforts as a far-sighted investment for global food security. Planning and preparatory activities for observing IYR are gaining momentum. An Informal International Working Group for IYR was established by representatives of all major stakeholders during an informal meeting held at FAO from 6 to 7 March 2003. This group agreed upon an IYR Road Map and a slogan: "Rice is Life." The official IYR logo has been selected. Within FAO Headquarters, the FAO Organizing Committee for IYR and the Secretariat for the implementation of IYR have been established; and a Communication Plan and IYR Web site have been developed. The IYR Concept Paper, fact sheets, a calendar of global events, an informational video, global contests and a rice cookbook are also being developed in preparation for the global awareness campaign.

Guidelines for National IYR Participation have been produced to facilitate national-level observation and are available. Some nations and international organizations have already volunteered to assist in translating IYR documents into the five official UN languages. Preparatory activities for the official launch of the Year at the UN General Assembly in New York on 31 October 2003 are currently underway, as are preparatory measures for IYR participation in various international and regional conferences and symposia organized worldwide for the occasion. Finally, a Trust Fund Proposal has been developed and an informal donor meeting will be held on 23 September 2003 in order to secure the necessary financial support.

The International Year of Rice is a unique opportunity for farmers, consumers, environmentalists, government ministries, international agencies and stakeholders from civil society to work together to develop the most appropriate rice production and consumption strategy to feed the people, protect environmental resources and preserve cultural heritage. Science and technology can enhance rice production through more efficient use of natural resources, especially water. Modern biotechnology can increase productivity of rice varieties and provide protection against pests, diseases and climatic variations. Observing the International Year of Rice in 2004 will allow us all to work together to contribute to the fight against hunger and poverty, to sustain our environment and provide a better life for millions of women, men and children. They may then truly say that "Rice is Life."

Before concluding, I wish to quote the following message of the International Year of Rice 2004:

A more sustainable increase in rice production leads to less hunger, less malnutrition, less poverty and better life.

I wish all of you a very successful meeting.

Thank you for your attention.

Why Rice?

The year 2004 was declared the International Year of Rice because rice is the staple food for more than half of the world's population. Rice has a large influence on human nutrition and the fight against hunger all over the world. Rice cultivation and post-harvest activities provide employment for several hundred million people in rural areas, particularly in developing countries. More than four-fifths of the world's rice is produced by small-scale farmers and consumed locally. Rice is a central part of many cultures, and it is used in festivals, paintings, songs and religious ceremonies as a symbol of life, fertility and abundance. Some Asian countries even credit rice cultivation with the development of their civilization. It is remarkable that almost every culture has its own way of eating rice and that these different recipes are, in fact, part of the world's cultural heritage.

For all of these reasons, "Rice is Life."

Rice is grown on all the continents of the world, except Antarctica. It is usually eaten with fish, meat, vegetables and legumes such as beans and lentils. A rice-based production system is a hub of biodiversity. Rice is also cultivated together with fish, vegetables, livestock and wild animals. The rice field is an agro-ecosystem that nourishes people, creates employment, generates income and supports many other forms of life. Almost a billion households in Asia, Africa and the Americas depend on rice systems for their main source of employment and livelihood. The major role of this crop with regard to nourishment and livelihoods implies that stagnant rice production would be devastating to food security and poverty alleviation. Furthermore, the impact of rice production on natural resources is enormous. Therefore, we must work together to achieve a sustainable increase in rice production for long-term food security and human nutrition.

In 1999, the need to raise global awareness and promote concrete actions for sustainable rice development was formally expressed by FAO and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), in their effort to have an international year declared. This was pursued by the Philippines and other member countries and led to the submission and approval of the resolution on the International Year of Rice at the thirty-first session of the FAO Conference (Annex I). On 16 December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly, at its fifty-seventh session, approved the resolution on the International Year of Rice submitted by the Philippine Delegation and sponsored by 43 member countries (Annex II). The proposal reaffirmed "the need to focus world attention on the role that rice can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty in the attainment of the internationally agreed development goals, including those contained in the Millennium Declaration".

The General Assembly invited FAO, in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) centres, and other major stakeholders both within the UN system and non-governmental organizations, to facilitate the implementation of IYR.

The fundamental objective of IYR is to promote and provide guidance for an efficient and sustainable increase in rice-based production. The strategy is to engage the global community in establishing mutually beneficial activities including information generation and exchange, transfer of advanced technology through education and extension, application of good management practices and promotion of a policy and regulatory environment conducive to rice development. By increasing global understanding of rice development constraints to be addressed and the opportunities for doing so among various stakeholders, immediate and longer-term action is expected to enhance global food security and poverty alleviation. Recent developments in science and technology, as well as in global communication, offer new options and approaches for achieving IYR goals.

Increasing rice production in a sustainable way requires national level strategies. Each country has different rice needs, a different culture of rice and, sometimes, different national priorities. The International Year of Rice will only be effective if member countries form national organizing committees for the Year. These committees are a powerful tool in the public awareness and action campaign, as they can access stakeholders at all levels, from the farmers in the field, to the consumers, the international research agencies and the UN system. The establishment of National Committees will ensure that the International Year of Rice is not forgotten in 2005, but instead that enhanced rice production strategies are well integrated within national development policies.

The institutional environment for rice production has undergone major changes since the Green Revolution. Thirty years ago, the public sector dominated agricultural development. Today, the private and non-governmental sector plays a much larger role. This change is partially due to the fact that new developments, such as biotechnology, have created new challenges and issues within agricultural production systems. These challenges include disputes over the ownership of rice and agricultural technologies, especially genetic resources, the need to meet agreed-upon biosafety standards, and the need to promote education and awareness as to the environmental and human safety of the aforementioned developments. The breadth of these challenges involves a much larger community than the public sector alone, and participation in IYR by non-governmental organizations and the private sector is necessary for the Year to reach its full potential.

To date, FAO has committed significant resources and energy from the 2003 budget towards the success of the Year and envisions these efforts as a far-sighted investment for global food security. Planning and preparatory activities for observing IYR are gaining momentum. An Informal International Working Group for IYR was established by representatives of all major stakeholders during an informal meeting held at FAO from 6 to 7 March 2003. This group agreed upon an IYR Road Map and a slogan: "Rice is Life." The official IYR logo has been selected. Within FAO Headquarters, the FAO Organizing Committee for IYR and the Secretariat for the implementation of IYR have been established; and a Communication Plan and IYR Web site have been developed. The IYR Concept Paper, fact sheets, a calendar of global events, an informational video, global contests and a rice cookbook are also being developed in preparation for the global awareness campaign.

Guidelines for National IYR Participation have been produced to facilitate national-level observation, and the IYR Web site contains a section on guidelines for logo use (with a downloadable version of the logo in six languages) to encourage widespread ownership of the Year. The Year was officially launched at the UN General Assembly in New York on 31 October 2003, and preparatory measures for IYR participation in various international and regional conferences and symposia organized worldwide for the occasion are currently underway. Finally, a Trust Fund Proposal has been developed and an informal donor meeting is planned in order to secure the necessary financial support.

The International Year of Rice is a unique opportunity for farmers, consumers, environmentalists and governments to work together to develop the most appropriate rice production and consumption strategy to feed the people, protect the countryside and preserve the cultural heritage. Science and technology can enhance rice production through more efficient use of natural resources, especially water. Modern biotechnology can increase productivity of rice varieties and provide protection against pests, diseases and climatic variations. Observing the International Year of Rice in 2004 will allow us all to work together to contribute to the fight against hunger and poverty, to sustain the environment and provide a better life for millions of women, men and children. They may then truly say that "Rice is Life."

History of the International Rice Year 1966

Dat Van Tran
Executive Secretary, IRC
Crop and Grassland Service
Plant Production and Protection Division, FAO

BACKGROUND

After the Second World War, concern about global population growth and food shortages drew the world's attention to promoting and enabling the production of the staple food in Asia. Given the stagnation of world rice production, the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations at its fourth session, having considered the deliberations of the Rice Study Group, which met in Trivandrum, India, of the third session of the Conference of the Organization and of the International Rice Meeting held in Baguio, the Philippines, established the International Rice Commission (IRC) in 1948 in accordance with a constitution, which has 9 articles, and 18 rules and regulations. The Constitution of the IRC came into force on 4 January 1949.

The establishment of the Commission was based on a vision promoting cooperative action in matters relating to production, conservation, distribution and consumption of rice. The interests of FAO member countries in the activities of the Commission have steadily increased since its establishment, as indicated by the notifications of acceptance of the Commission's constitution from the governments of FAO member countries. To date the membership of the IRC has grown from 15 to 61. The Commission has made significant contributions to the Green Revolution in many rice-producing countries, enabling world rice production to provide food security for more than half of the world's population.

In the 1950s and the early 1960s, the world population grew very rapidly while the rate of growth of rice production was slow. This rice production scenario was potentially devastating to food security and poverty alleviation for more than fourth-fifths of Asia's population. Many experts were predicting the likelihood of large-scale regional starvation. Under such serious circumstances, a proposal to declare an International Rice Year was made at the seventh session of the FAO Consultative Sub-Committee on the Economic Aspects of Rice, which met in Tokyo in 1963. The objectives of this declaration were set forth as follows:

(i) To encourage governments and the rice industries to make a concerted effort to promote, where appropriate, production, consumption, marketing and trading as well as economic and technical research on rice;

(ii) to focus world attention on the role that rice can play in furthering the ends of the Freedom-From-Hunger Campaign; and

(iii) to improve international understanding of the rice economy.

The FAO Conference endorsed the proposal on 1 July 1965. Dr B.R. Sen, the Director-General of FAO, declared the year 1966 as "International Rice Year" (IRY) and linked all activities related to the Year to the Freedom-From-Hunger Campaign (FFHC).

In his declaration speech, the Director-General said:

It is my hope and of the countries which inspired the idea, that this declaration will encourage governments and the peoples to make a great concerted effort to promote the production, consumption and trade in rice; and, more generally, that it will focus the world's attention on rice problems and the role which rice must play in freeing the world from hunger.

This action - the decision to name a "Year" after a single commodity - is altogether exceptional in the history of FAO. The reason lies in the exceptional urgency of the rice problems and the large part of the world affected... The declaration of an International Year for Rice, as we are undertaking today, can strengthen and reinforce these efforts in several ways. First, it provides an opportunity for a fresh look at the centuries-old problems. For the short period of 12 months, attention can be focussed on appraising the adequacy of existing rice plans, on their objectives, and on their methods. Secondly, while this declaration may not in itself produce additional resources, it should identify key projects which attract investment capital. Thirdly, the IRY can lead to a greater awareness among the rice countries of their neighbour's problems.

Responsibilities for implementing national observance during the International Rice Year fell on the governments concerned, while FAO provided technical assistance at their request. The FAO Secretariat's support was within the limitations of the 1966/67 budget, which contained no separate budgetary appropriation for this purpose. It was also recognized that although the IRY would last for one calendar year, most work would be of a long-term nature continuing well beyond this period.

NATIONAL ACTIVITIES DURING THE IRY - 1966

The outcomes of this campaign were reported in the Final Report on the IRY - 1966 within the FFHC. More than 35 Member Governments organized special activities during the IRY, in which rice industries and non-governmental organizations also participated. The actions ranged from measures to increase production and quality of processing to marketing and utilization of rice. The following are the main activities implemented during the Year:

1. Measures to increase production: In many areas, action during the IRY was focused on establishing rice programmes and encouraging appropriate utilization of resources and emerging improved technologies. For example, the campaign was launched to promote the demonstration of a newly-released variety, IR8-288-3, received from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in several countries in Asia (India, Malaysia and Nepal). In Latin America, there was a campaign to eradicate pests affecting rice in Ecuador, and demonstrations of mechanized equipment for rice cultivation in Mexico were a special feature of the IRY activities. National rice production competitions were conducted in Guyana, India, the Republic of Korea, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria and Thailand.

2. Measures to improve marketing, milling and nutrition: Several countries, such as Côte d'Ivoire and the Congo (Brazzaville) promoted activities in improving rice processing and marketing during the Year. Malaysia and Nigeria encouraged farmers' cooperatives and introduced measures to stabilize rice prices and improve credit facilities. Fifteen countries participated in the international exhibition of rice-cooking methods in Nigeria.

3. Fostering public interest and understanding: Several countries, such as Australia, Guyana, Iraq, Japan, Madagascar, Thailand and the United Arab Republic, organized national rice weeks, rice harvest festivals and exhibitions to highlight the importance of rice. A large rice exhibition, opened by the Deputy Director-General of FAO, was organized in the Royal Tropical Institute in Amsterdam and later transferred to a museum in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Special stamps, symbols etc. were designed and issued by several countries to observe the IRY. School children participated in Year campaigns in Sri Lanka and Madagascar.

4. IRY meetings and conferences were organized at both national and international level to discuss different aspects of rice production and utilization in Guyana, Suriname and the United States of America. Other meetings included: the International Symposium on Rice and Rice Culture, Tokyo, Japan; the Sixth National Congress on Rice Growing, Vercelli, Italy; Special Symposium on Factors Responsible for High Rice Yields, Delhi, India; the International Conference of Mechanization and the World's Rice, Leamington, United Kingdom; and the YWFD Regional Seminar on Rural Youth in Bangkok, Thailand.

5. IRY studies and publications: The world's press, including widely distributed and popular newspapers and magazines, published features devoted to rice problems and issued special editions on the IRY. There were many articles and reports on the Year in technical and commercial publications issued by industry (e.g. World Crops). Special publications on rice and related matters were issued in Japan, Italy, France, the Netherlands and Portugal.

6. Encouragement to scientific research on rice: FAO, in collaboration with IRRI, organized an International Rice Research Competition. A prize fund included donations of US$1 000 from the Government of Thailand and US$200 from the Government of Australia. A total of 32 research papers were received from 13 countries. In addition, scientists' visits were organized and special IRY fellowships were arranged by India, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

7. In 1966, IRRI released the variety IR8, a semi-dwarf high-yielding variety, which sparked the Green Revolution throughout the world.

FAO'S SUPPORTING ACTIVITIES IN THE IRY

The FAO Secretariat made many efforts to centre its resources on rice and related activities in commemoration of the IRY, in addition to the work performed by technical officers who prepared special rice studies and projects, participated in IRY conferences and organized events such as the International Rice Research Competition.

1. Field activities: The Secretariat helped to formulate and implement numerous field projects to improve rice-based production and marketing in developing countries, under both regular and special programmes, for example: (i) FFHC rice projects on rice extension, pre-processing, village storage and rice processing; (ii) a model Special Fund project on storage (for Brazil and India) and applied research demonstration and training in rice milling and parboiling (Thailand); and (iii) a special effort to encourage specialized field projects aiming at the assessment of rice losses at various stages of harvest and post-harvest operations.

2. Publications and information: Several FAO rice studies were prepared and published in an "IRY" series, and several others were reprinted, including rice reports of field experts, the State of Food and Agriculture 1966, with a special chapter on rice, as well as a whole issue of Freedom from Hunger devoted to world rice problems. The IRC Newsletter and divisional newsletters highlighted the objectives of the IRY and national IRY activities.

3. A series of fact sheets on rice extension were produced and distributed to rice-producing countries; posters on swamp rice were circulated.

4. Twelve tape-recordings were produced on rice, explaining the role it plays in the national economy of many developing countries. Fifty-nine tapes of these recordings in six different languages were sent to 45 radio stations throughout the world.

Finally, the IRY activities provided stimulus for national programmes designed to raise productivity and efficiency in rice production and promote scientific and technical research. The IRY fostered public understanding of the significance of rice in the world economy and in human nutrition. Major issues and concerns were vocalized and rice was presented as a means for combating poverty. Concerted efforts among all the stakeholders to address the technical, economic and social problems related to rice and to focus world attention on this crucial crop constituted the main themes of the International Rice Year in 1966.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

FAO. 1967. Freedom From Hunger Campaign: Final Report on the International Rice Year - 1966. Report from FAO Conference, document C 67/20 (2 Aug. 1967). Rome, FAO. 14 pp.

IRC Secretariat. 1965. Announcement on International Rice Research Competition - Conditions of entry. IRC Newsl., Sept. 1965 issue, Vol. XIV, No. 3. Bangkok, Thailand, FAO Regional Office.

IRC Secretariat. 1966. Tenth Session of the FAO Study Group on Rice. IRC Newsl., Dec. 1966 issue, Vol. XV, No. 4. Bangkok, Thailand, FAO Regional Office.

IRC Secretariat. 1967. Winners of International Rice Research Competition. IRC Newsl., Dec. 1967 issue, Vol. XVI, No. 4. Bangkok, Thailand, FAO Regional Office.

IRC Secretariat. 1968. Inauguration of the International Rice Year 1966. IRC Newsl., June 1968 issue, Vol. XVII, No. 2. Bangkok, Thailand, FAO Regional Office.

Sustainable rice-based production and people's livelihood^[3]

The Secretariat
International Rice Commission, FAO, Rome, Italy

RICE: AN ESSENTIAL SOURCE OF FOOD AND LIVELIHOOD

Adequate food, clothing and housing are the most critical elements for good living, although good livelihood may encompass other aspects of life, such as education and quality of life. Food security is required to prevent humans from suffering from hunger. Good livelihood will never be achieved as long as hunger persists. Hunger reduces people's potential to work, hinders children's learning capacity and leads people into a vicious cycle of poverty.

Rice has been used as food by man for over 10 000 years and has fed a great number of people for a longer period than has any other crop. In many Asian countries, where rice is the staple food, the importance of this crop in relation to food security and socioeconomic development is evident. Throughout the history of the Asian region, the ability to produce a surplus of rice has assisted the development of communities, whereas the failure of a rice crop has led to widespread famine, death and political instability.

Recently, the popularity of rice as food has increased in a number of countries in Africa, America and elsewhere where rice is not traditionally a major food crop. In the high-income countries in Europe and North America, rice is considered a healthy food and its consumption is increasing. The importance of this crop is increasingly recognized in religious and social ceremonies. In 2000, more than half of the world's population depended on rice as the major daily source of calories and protein. The amount of rice consumed by each of these people ranged from 100 to 240 kg per year.

Not only is rice a key source of food, it is also a major employer and source of income for the poor. Rice-based production activities provide employment for several hundred million people who work either directly in rice production or in related support services. With the harvest of the rice crop, activities shift to post-production operations: harvesting, threshing, drying, milling, storage and trade of rice provide employment for millions more people.

Threshing separates the grain from the straw. Rice grains ("rough rice") are dried to lower their moisture content to at least 14 percent before being subjected to other operations. In some countries rough rice is parboiled before milling. The milling of rough rice produces head rice (or milled rice), broken rice, rice bran, and hulls and husks. The preparation of milled rice for consumption, the transformation of milled rice to other products, and the utilization of broken rice, rice bran, rice hulls and husks, and rice straw provide additional employment opportunities for a large number of people.

The income generated from rice cultivation and post-harvest activities has provided cash to cover the expenses of clothing, housing, education and other social activities of the majority of people in rural areas in rice-producing and consuming countries in Asia, such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam for several centuries, and recently in the Gambia, Guinea and Madagascar in Africa.

Sustainable rice-based production is the key to the improvement of the livelihood not only of small rice farmers in developing and rice-producing countries, but of poor families in urban centres in many countries worldwide.

MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF SUSTAINABLE RICE-BASED PRODUCTION

The increase in world rice production during the Green Revolution resulted in more rice being available for consumption despite the continued increase in population. For the last few decades demand for rice has been met thanks to the high-yielding varieties and improved production methods of the Green Revolution in the 1970s and 1980s. However, there is increasing concern about the ability of rice production to meet popular demand in the near future. The Expert Consultation on Technological Evolution and Impact for Sustainable Rice Production in Asia and the Pacific, held in Bangkok in 1996, reported the stagnation of rice yield in many Asian countries. Also, the intensification of rice production has caused considerable damage to the environment and natural resources, including the build-up of salinity/alkalinity, water pollution and health hazards due to excessive use of agrochemicals and the emission of important greenhouse gases. Concern about genetic erosion in rice production is also increasing.

There are about 800 million people in the world today who are still suffering from malnutrition. Moreover, during the past four decades, the unit cost of rice production decreased by 30 percent while the price of rice decreased by more than 40 percent. The currently low prices of rice in international markets are major constraints to the improvement of the livelihood of small rice farmers, although they are helpful for poor families in urban centres.

The sustainability of rice-based production systems is fundamental to the world's food security and livelihoods. The World Food Summit (WFS), convened in November 1996 in Rome, called for coordinated global action to secure food security for the world's population. The WFS: five years later, held from 10 to 13 June 2002 in Rome, renewed the global commitment made in the Rome Declaration at the first Summit to accelerate the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action. Increasing rice production would undoubtedly contribute to the implementation of the WFS Plan of Action. Looking ahead 30 years, scientists estimated that feeding the population would require 75 percent more rice than the 1996 production, for a total of 850 million tonnes of paddy rice.

Meeting the challenge of sustainable rice-based production is vital not only for food security but also for the alleviation of the poverty of several hundred million poor families in low-income and developing countries. Below are some key challenges to sustainable rice production for improving the livelihood of people and actions that need to be taken.

Potential versus reality: closing the yield gap

After decades of remarkable rice production, growth has slowed. Although scientists estimate that high-yielding rice varieties can produce as much as 10 tonnes/ha, in reality, even with excellent management practices, farmers only produce about 7 or 8 tonnes. And in developing countries with less input and less technology, 4 to 5 tonnes is considered a good commercial yield. In September 2000, FAO held the Expert Consultation on Yield Gap and Productivity Decline in Rice Production. One recommendation was the adoption of a system to help farmers identify all the factors influencing production. Such an integrated approach, referred to as "rice integrated crop management" (RICM), has been extremely successful in closing the gap between potential and actual yields. Integrated crop management systems are based on the understanding that limitations in production are closely linked. For example, stronger seedlings from high quality seeds will not benefit yield if the crop is inadequately fertilized. Similarly, the crop cannot respond to improved fertility if weeds compete. And to obtain high fertilizer efficiency there must be enough water. Farmers must consider all factors in an integrated manner. One such system, developed in Australia in the late 1980s and known as "Ricecheck", helps pinpoint which factors are causing reduced yields in order that farmers may respond with focused actions. After a little more than a decade of using this system, Australian national yield leapt from 6 to over 9.5 tonnes/ha, the highest yield worldwide.

While only about half the global rice cultivation is planted on irrigated land, it generates three-quarters of total production. Closing the yield gap in irrigated rice alone could produce an additional 65 million tonnes of paddy rice each year.

Hybrid technology gives high-yielding varieties a boost

High-yielding rice varieties take credit for much of the remarkable gain in rice production. But since the introduction in 1966 of the champion of high-yielding varieties, IR8, their yield potential has been stagnant. In 1976, Chinese scientists applied heterosis in rice in order to increase production. Hybrid technology allows farmers to obtain 15 to 20 percent more rice than with conventional high-yielding varieties. The first country to extensively use hybrid rice was China. Between 1976 and 1992, the area cultivated with hybrid rice jumped from practically zero to more than 50 percent of the total, bringing a gain in production of 250 million tonnes. And the gain was achieved using 2 million ha less land. Unfortunately, many countries lack proper training and the capital for investment. The cost of hybrid seed production is four to five times higher than normal seeds - out of the reach of most poor farmers. FAO has helped nations to gain the necessary expertise to start their own hybrid rice programmes. Over the last 10 years, it has funded technical cooperation programmes in Bangladesh, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Viet Nam. It has also funded projects in India with the United Nations Development Programme, as well as in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka and Viet Nam with the Asian Development Bank and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Total funding for these projects came to more than US$8 million.

How high can the yield potential be raised? The first generation of hybrid rice was 3-line hybrids. In the last few years Chinese scientists have released 2-line hybrids, which have about 5 to 10 percent more yield than 3-line hybrids. IRRI is working to raise the genetic yield potential of rice from the current level of about 10 tonnes/ha to 12 or 13 tonnes/ha. This new variety, referred to as "new plant type" or NPT, is already being tested. Work in the development of C4 rice plants is still going on. Further efforts, however, are needed to bring NPT and C4 rice plants to farmers' fields

Maintaining the genetic advantage

Although the use of high-yielding varieties has brought huge gains in yield, the planting of a single variety to large areas year after year may compromise genetic resistance to pests. In Asia, the brown planthopper used to be a pest of minor importance; in the 1980s, a popular high-yielding variety, IR36, lost its resistance, and because of improper pesticide use, no natural enemies were left to keep it in check. Losses due to the pest and the related grassy stunt virus soared to US$400 million per year. Fortunately, scientists are constantly developing new varieties with greater resistance. In India alone, more than 600 new varieties have been developed since 1965. The West Africa Rice Development Association (WARDA) has developed NERICA (New Rice for Africa) varieties, based on crosses between sativa and glaberrima. WARDA reported that NERICA varieties have short growth duration and thrive well under low-input management systems under upland conditions in West Africa. Considerable effort is still needed to bring NERICA varieties to farmers, especially lowland rice farmers, and researchers must receive continued support.

Can biotechnology aid rice production?

Biotechnology holds potential for increasing yield and reducing needed inputs. For instance, biotechnology could one day create a drought-resistant variety or one that is able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, reducing fertilizer inputs. Improving the low nutritional quality of rice is another option. Golden Rice, a rice with high levels of Vitamin A, has been successful in trials. The next step is adapting it to the conditions of developing countries. FAO believes that caution is required in evaluating the use of this technology. The first concern is human and environmental safety. The next is the question of who reaps the benefits. Will farmers benefit along with multinational companies?

Addressing environmental concerns

The intensification of rice production has harmed the environment. The excessive use of pesticides causes water pollution and health hazards. Intensive irrigation can cause salinization in semi-arid and arid zones and waterlogging in humid zones, leading to greatly reduced soil fertility. After years of high yields, the soil is depleted of nutrients. The harmful effects on the global climate are also a concern: flooded rice is a major source of methane emission while nitrogen-based fertilizers produce nitrous oxide - both are greenhouse gases linked to global warming. Protecting the environment is increasingly important. Crop management practices must use precious resources wisely and not cause unnecessary environmental harm. FAO promotes the use of integrated pest management, which teaches farmers to monitor pests in their field carefully and to adopt practices that reduce the need for expensive and harmful pesticides.

Can irrigation be counted on?

One of the most serious constraints to rice-based production is insufficient or inconsistent water supply. The high yields of modern varieties were possible thanks to irrigation. During the Green Revolution, irrigated area grew by between 4 and 5 million ha per year. In Asia, where urbanization is competing with rice production, water is already scarce in many countries and additional land to devote to irrigation is not feasible. Better crop management techniques and higher-yielding hybrid seeds can reap more from already irrigated lands.

On the other hand, the potential for irrigation is still untapped in other regions. In tropical sub-Saharan Africa, around 130 million ha are wetland/inland valley swamps, but only 3 percent of this area is used for rice cultivation. And in Latin America, more than 10 million ha of wetland could be converted to irrigated rice production. The development of inland valley swamps using low-cost techniques is a sustainable way to provide farmers in sub-Saharan Africa with more rice and higher income, thus improving the livelihood of the rural population.

Investment leads to growth

The Green Revolution in Asia taught policy-makers that investing in agricultural research pays off. Over a 20- year period, average yields in the top 12 rice-producing nations rose by 2 to 3 tonnes/ha, with a total value of about US$24 billion. This was achieved because of international and national investment that led to the introduction of improved varieties, more irrigation and greater use of fertilizers. Unfortunately, public investment has fallen dramatically. This trend will also make it difficult to sustain the growth of environmentally friendly rice production. Policy-makers must make investment a priority. If low prices give the impression that sufficient rice is already produced, it is an illusion. An exceptionally long period of good weather has created a bumper crop of rice, but it cannot last forever. And as the population grows, so will demand. Competition for land is also growing, and as farmers switch to higher-paying crops, demand will increase further.

PROTECTING FARMERS' HARD-EARNED HARVEST

Unfortunately, even when rice thrives, a significant portion is lost after harvesting. Hand-harvesting and threshing are still common, rudimentary grain-drying prevails and rice is poorly stored. Surveys conducted by FAO show that farmers often lose between 10 and 37 percent of the total harvest, especially in the rainy season. FAO has funded a number of projects to help reduce post-harvest loss. In Cambodia, farmers learned how to produce metal storage silos that protect rice from moisture and pests. Improved drying technologies, such as the low-cost batch dryer, can reduce breakage. Help may also come from varieties more tolerant to delayed harvesting, allowing farmers to leave grains to dry longer in the field.

Helping farmers escape poverty

The majority of rice farmers are poor and caught in a cycle of endless poverty. National policies often favour the consumer and the export market, not the farmer. And after all the seeding, weeding and threshing, rice yields still do not provide farmers with a high income. Farmers can benefit from technologies that boost production and increase employment. In Suriname, a project using high-quality seeds, a drum seeder, minimum tillage techniques and field drain ditches for irrigation boosted yield by over 35 percent, from 4.3 to 5.9 tonnes/ha. And because crop management was more efficient, incomes rose. The technologies also employed more family members.

FAO field projects during the 1990s have demonstrated the potential contribution of the diversification of rice production systems as a means for increasing farmers' incomes. Double-cropping rice, with tomatoes or cabbage for example, can further increase income. However, family food security is the primary concern of the majority of farmers. Farmers are willing to undertake diversification only when rice production can provide adequate food for their family. It is necessary to increase the productivity of rice-based production systems to successfully promote crop diversification.

Farmer incomes can be increased by the full utilization of the biomass of the rice plant. For example, the transformation of rice grains to noodles, the use of rice husks for cooking energy, and the culture of mushroom using rice straw, under the concept of "Thriving with Rice", could all generate off-farm income.

Policy decisions: balancing the needs of consumers and producers

Rice is regarded as a sacred crop in many countries and historically, governments have devoted significant resources to supporting rice-based production. But this support may not continue. The subsidies and government interventions, however, are expensive for governments to maintain. Governments are under increasing pressure to abide by international trade agreements under the Uruguay Round on Agriculture and the World Trade Organization agreement to remove protective tariffs and subsidies.

CONCLUSION

The prevailing decline in the world's rice prices due to bumper crops during the last few years should not lead to mistaken complacency. On the one hand, the declining price of this vital commodity has greatly helped to alleviate poverty and hunger in many cities of the world, but on the other hand it has caused hardship to rice producers. Today's world rice production suffers from lack of investment in irrigation development and research work. The decline in the development of irrigation infrastructures has slowed down the adoption of high-yielding varieties and improved crop management techniques. Similarly, the substantial decrease in public investment in rice research is troublesome since the difficulty of sustaining the growth of rice productivity has increased as yield has advanced.

In view of the above considerations, the current challenges to national and international rice research and development programmes are twofold:

• How to render rice production technologies efficient and at the same time compatible with the limited resources of poor farmers, while being environmentally friendly and sustainable.

• How to design rice and rice-based production systems that fit into the socio-economic environments, especially where the participation of women is dominant, and which are capable of reducing the risks of rural poverty.