NERC/04/INF/9

Twenty-seventh FAO Regional Conference for the Near East

Table of Contents

I. INTRODUCTION

II. RICE IN THE NEAR EAST REGION

A. Current Situation of Rice Production and Consumption in the Near East Region
B. Constraints of Sustainable Rice Production in the Near East Region
C. Potentials for Rice Production in the Near East Region
D. Proposed Elements of the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rice-based Systems in the Region

III. THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RICE (IYR)

A. “Rice is Life”: Aspects of Rice-based Systems
B. IYR: Challenges and Opportunities
C. A Conceptual Framework for the IYR Implementation

I. INTRODUCTION

1. On 16 December 2002, the United Nations General Assembly declared 2004 the International Year of Rice to focus the world’s attention on the role that rice can play in providing food security and poverty alleviation. Rice is life for major populations of the world and is deeply embedded in the cultural heritage of societies. It is the staple food for more than half of the world population. Rice-based production systems and their associated post-harvest operations employ nearly a billion people in rural areas in developing countries. About four-fifths of the world’s rice production is grown by small-scale farmers in low-income and developing countries.

2. Rice is the most rapidly growing food source in the Near East. Current rice demand has exceeded the Region’s annual rice production capacity. Regional rice imports are high and costly. The implementation of the International Year of Rice is an opportunity to raise support for sustainable development of rice-based production systems for food security and poverty alleviation at the global level in general and in the Near East Region, in particular. This paper discusses the importance of rice in the Near East and the potential and constraints for a sustainable production increase in the region. It also discusses the background of the International Year of Rice, the different facets of rice-based production systems, the challenges and opportunities of the year at the global level and its implementation framework.

II. RICE IN THE NEAR EAST

A. Current Situation of Rice Production and Consumption in the Near East Region

3. Rice is the third largest crop in the Near East region in terms of area sawn after wheat and cotton, with Egypt, Pakistan, Iran, Morocco, Iraq, Turkey, Mauritania and Sudan are the main producing countries in the region. It plays a significant role in the strategy to overcome food shortages occupying annually, about 3.5 million hectares. The total production is about 12.7 million tons of rice with an average regional productivity of 4.7 t/ha.

With the exception of Egypt and Pakistan which have exportable surplus of 0.5 and 1.8 million tons respectively, the rest of the countries in the region are net rice importers. It is estimated that approximately half of the total consumed rice in the Near East countries has to be imported every year. In 2001, the total amount of milled rice exported from the Near East region was only 0.93 million tons, while the imported amounts were about 4.5 million tons (FAOSTAT, 2003).

4. Entirely irrigated, the agro-ecology of the region is the most favourable for very high yields. However, high variability exists in rice yields among countries in the region. The average national yield is 9.4 tons/ha in Egypt, compared to only 1.30 tons/ha in Sudan. This type of yield gap is due to differences mainly in socio-economic factors, crop management, and access to use of knowledge and technologies and to a lesser extend the biophysical factors (climate, length of growing season, soil, water, pest pressure, etc). The low rate of adoption of productive varieties and improved crop management technologies, which are due to the weak research and extension systems appear to be the reason for practically low yield situations in many rice producing countries of the region.

B. Constraints of Sustainable Rice Production in the Near East Region

5. There are various factors currently affecting rice production and yield gap in some countries of the Region which include:

• Limited water supply and inadequate water management, which results in low efficiency of water use.
• Inefficient drainage systems result in extensive soil salinity/alkalinity problems.
• Declining soil fertility and improper land management.
• Insect pests and diseases - especially blast.
• Extreme low or high temperatures during flowering.
• Poor quality seed and short supply of improved and quality seeds.
• Lack of training and technology transfer at farm level.
• Inadequate land levelling.
• Weed infestation and inappropriate weed control management.
• Lack of suitable machinery and field equipment.
• Inadequate input supplies (seeds, fertilizers, pesticides).
• High post-harvest losses.
• Insufficient specific and encouraging policies supportive to rice farmers.
• Inadequate research support.
• Inadequate and ineffective extension support services to farmers; and slow adoption of recommended technologies.

C. Potentials for Rice Production in the Near East Region

6. In spite of the above mentioned constraints, rice productivity could be increased in the Near East Region mainly through the following:

i. Use of improved rice varieties

Recently, there are newly developed released high yielding varieties in the Region which could achieve yields as high as 10 tons/ha.

ii. Developing hybrid rice technology

Hybrid rice has become a reality in Egypt and Pakistan with the possibility that Turkey and Morocco would do the same.

iii. Integrated nutrient management

Nitrogen is the nutrient that most frequently limits rice production in sandy soils. There should be approaches to regulate the timing of N application based on needs of the rice plant to increase efficiency of the plant's use of the applied nitrogen. Many rice farmers use very little of it, primarily due to non-availability, lack of cash to buy it, and due to poor yield response or high risk. In addition to chemical fertilizers there are good avenues in the Region to apply organic manure to rice fields.

iv. Water and irrigation

Because of water scarcity in the Region, the major challenges in growing rice is to develop farm water reservoirs for water harvesting, as well as selection of drought tolerant varieties, good land levelling, subsoiling, which are requisites for proper irrigation scheduling to increase water use efficiency.

v. Policy Support to increase production

This could be done through having appropriate policies and socio-economic adjustments which include pricing and institutional support, to address the needs of the farmers.

vi. Credit

Credit facilities and loans to small and resource-poor farmers ought to be provided

vii. Input availability

Governments should ensure the availability of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, machinery for different farm operations and make maintenance services accessible to farmers.

viii. Good quality seeds
The use of good quality seeds is the most important factor for achieving high yields. Governments and private sectors should play an important role in establishing programmes for good quality seeds from the released varieties and hybrids. Governments are encouraged to come up with proper legislation for seed multiplication and certification.

ix. Reduction of post harvest losses

Introduction of more efficient technologies for handling, drying, storage and milling rice is essential to reduce post production losses.

x. Technology transfer

Knowledge on improved varieties and agronomic practices should be disseminated through extension and technology transfer programmes.

D. Proposed Elements of the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rice-based Systems in the Region

7. Generally speaking the sustainable increase in rice production in the Near East Region requires strategies for overcoming the constraints that limit the growth of the rice industry. The strategies must focus on the following: the formulation of appropriate government policies to support the development of rice production programmes; increasing rice yield through development and dissemination of hybrid rice and rice integrated crop management systems (the Rice checks); improving post-harvest technology through research and extension; and the provision of infrastructure and accessibility to inputs.

8. The implementation of the International Year of Rice as declared by the United Nations General Assembly would increase awareness on the importance of rice for food security and reducing poverty in the Near East. It would also raise support and commitment to sustainable rice production in the region.

III. THE INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF RICE (IYR)

9. The initiative for the International year of rice came in 1999, when the International Rice Research Institute - responding to its members' growing concerns over the serious issues facing rice development - requested FAO's collaboration in declaring an International Year for Rice (IYR). This led to Resolution 2/2001 of the Thirty-First FAO Conference, which requested the United Nations General Assembly to declare the IYR. On 16 December 2002, the Philippines, co-sponsored by 43 countries, submitted this request to the Fifty-Seventh Session of UN, which declared 2004 as the IYR. The dedication of an International Year to a single crop was unprecedented in the history of UN. FAO was invited to facilitate the IYR implementation, in collaboration with governments and other relevant organizations.

10. The theme of the IYR - "Rice is Life"- reflects the importance of rice as a primary food source, and is drawn from an understanding that rice-based systems are essential for food security, poverty alleviation and improved livelihoods. Rice is the staple food of over half of the world's population. In Asia alone, more than 2 billion people obtain 60 to 70 percent of their energy intake from rice and its derivatives. It is the most rapidly growing food source in Africa and is of significant importance to food security in an increasing number of low-income food-deficit countries. Rice-based production systems and their associated post-harvest operations employ nearly 1 billion people in rural areas of developing countries. About four-fifths of the world's rice is grown by small-scale farmers in low-income countries. Efficient and productive rice-based systems are therefore essential to economic development and improved quality of life, particularly in rural areas.

11. There are still about 840 million undernourished people, including more than 200 million children in developing countries. Improving the productivity of rice systems would contribute to eradicating this unacceptable level of hunger. However, rice production is facing serious constraints, including declining yield growth rates, natural resource depletion, labour shortages, gender issues, institutional limitations and environmental pollution. Enhancing the sustainability and productivity of rice-based production systems, while protecting and conserving the environment, will require the commitment of many parts of civil society, as well as governmental and inter-governmental action.

12. Many countries attach great importance to sustainable rice development, and there are a growing number of global initiatives aimed at promoting it. These include the Agenda 21-chapter on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (SARD) approved by 1992 Rio Summit; the 2002 World Conference on Sustainable Development; the 1996 Declaration on World Food Security and the World Food Summit Plan of Action; and the United Nations Millennium Declaration in 2000. Among the inter-governmental regulatory instruments that are of key importance for rice are those related to: food quality (Codex Alimentarius); climate change; trade and non-tariff trade barriers; biological diversity and the safe movement of modified living organisms; and ensuring equal access to and benefit sharing from plant genetic resources. Together with the IYR, these initiatives recognize that, in a world of increasingly interlinked institutions, societies and economies; it is essential that efforts are coordinated, responsibilities shared and participation included at all levels, from the local to the international.

A. "Rice is Life": Aspects of Rice-based Systems

13. The IYR envisages rice as the focal point through which the interdependent relationships among agriculture, food security, nutrition, agro-biodiversity, the environment, culture, economics, science, gender and employment can be clearly viewed.

• Rice Production. From its Asian homeland, rice is now cultivated in 113 countries and on all continents except Antarctica. It is grown in a wide range of soil moisture regimes, from deep flood to dry land, and in different soil conditions. Rice plays a variety of roles that are related to the following important aspects of food security, as well as the rural and economic development.
• Nutrition. In the developing world as a whole, rice provides 27 percent of dietary energy supply and 20 percent of dietary protein intake.
• Agro-biodiversity. Rice-based systems are hubs of biodiversity. They combine well with other agricultural production activities, such as the raising of fish or ducks on waterlogged rice fields, and the feeding of rice straw to livestock. In turn, ducks and fish feed on weeds and small aquatic organisms, while livestock help with transportation and land preparation, as well as providing organic fertilizer. Rice is also grown together with vegetables and fruit trees such as banana and coconut. Rice fields also host a wide variety of natural enemies that control harmful insects and pests. In these ways, rice-based systems provide great opportunities for improved nutrition, diversified agriculture, increased incomes and the protection of genetic and agricultural resources.
• Water and land management. Rice is the only major cereal that can withstand water submergence and rice-based systems can make productive use of all the available water and land resources. Terracing allows cultivation on steep slopes, helps prevent soil erosion and landslides, controls floods, minimizes weed growth and generates water percolation and groundwater recharge, while submerged conditions enable organic matter to accumulate in soils.
• Employment and income. Rice cultivation is the principal activity and source of income for about 100 million households in Asia and Africa, and several countries are highly dependent on rice as a source of foreign exchange earnings and government revenue. In addition, the threshing, milling, processing, market transport and cooking of rice helps support rural livelihoods. Other rural people generate income from producing, servicing and maintaining tools, implements and equipment for rice cultivation and post-harvest operations.
• Gender. Women and men often develop different agricultural expertise and knowledge, and women play important roles in both rice production and post-harvest activities. However, women have less access to credit, farm inputs, marketing facilities, extension services and information, and often miss out on the benefits of improved rice cultivation at the field level.
• Science. Improved technologies enable farmers to grow more rice on limited land with reduced need for water, labour and agro-chemicals. Genomic studies by public and private research laboratories have resulted in a comprehensive database of rice DNA, which is useful for breeders in developing rice varieties with higher yield and tolerance to pests and diseases. These varieties also have greater tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as drought and salinity, and higher nutritional value. Golden rice, a product of genetic engineering, has high vitamin content and is being evaluated by international and national research systems for its bio-safety. The introduction of integrated crop management systems also helps increase efficiency while reducing production costs and negative environmental impacts.
• Economic policy issues. For many decades, rice was one of the most heavily protected agricultural commodities. Since the 1980s, structural adjustment programmes and the 1994 WTO Agreement on Agriculture have changed this situation, and world rice trade is expanding strongly. However, urban consumers enjoy most of the benefits (especially lower rice prices), while small-scale, low-income farmers in developing countries bear the brunt of change. Developing countries now face the challenge of reaping the benefits associated with more efficient resource allocation, while alleviating the plight of small producers.

B. Challenges and Opportunities for the IYR

14. The IYR offers an important opportunity to use a collective approach towards resolving the increasingly complex issues that affect the sustainable development of rice and rice-based production systems. This has important technical, political, economic and social dimensions, including enhancing the role of rice in meeting human needs.

• Improving food security and nutrition. Although rice is a rich source of energy and protein, it has an incomplete amino acid profile and contains limited quantities of essential micronutrients. Nutrition can be improved by better rice processing and cooking techniques, the use of rice varieties with high nutritional values, and the fortification of rice with vitamins and minerals (e.g. through applying food technology). Food security can be enhanced by promoting complementary crops, livestock and fisheries activities within rice-based systems. IYR can help countries develop the infrastructure to support the responsible utilization of biotechnology. It can also increase awareness of the need to support the diversity of rice varieties to reduce genetic vulnerability and to enhance both rice productivity and quality. Diversity in rice-based systems greatly contributes to rural income and complete nutrition in a more balanced diet.
• Enhancing the productivity of rice-based systems. Sustainable rice development requires: i) genetic improvements for higher yield potential, e.g. hybrid rice; ii) better crop management techniques; iii) reduced post-harvest operations; and iv) the development of integrated production systems. It also requires improved national capacity, through training and information exchange, and the national-level transfer of safety-tested new technologies to the field.
• Managing water resources. There is growing concern about the sustainability of global water resources. Water scarcity can be addressed by reducing the quantity of water required (through developing new rice varieties or improved irrigation systems) or by recycling water through multiple uses. The cultivation of rice in low-water regimes will lead to changes in water and nutrient management, cropping patterns and tillage practices. IYR can help improve understanding of the costs and benefits of water use in rice-based systems (e.g. the diverse life forms that such systems sustain). Technological developments and management interventions will also be required.
• Environmental protection. Environmental concerns in rice production include indiscriminate use of pesticides, inefficient use of fertilizers, emissions of greenhouse gases and the burning of crop residues. At the same time, rice-based ecosystems host a wealth of biodiversity, and the majority of the planting material used by poor farmers is derived from seeds that they produce themselves and that represent generations of local genetic resources. IYR can spread awareness of the importance of preserving biogenetic and natural resources and can help stakeholders exchange ideas on environmental issues, challenges and opportunities.
• Traditional rice-based systems as part of world heritage. IYR will raise awareness of the importance of benchmark rice-based systems, and will carry out activities to safeguard such systems and redress their erosion. The inclusion of outstanding rice-based systems in the multi-stakeholder, multi-agency Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) Project represents a major opportunity. This project is expected to lead to the creation of a new Agricultural Heritage Systems category under the World Heritage Convention.
• The institutional context. More expanded partnerships between government and non-governmental (including private sector) development agencies and agriculture institutions are required in order to increase farmers' - particularly women farmers' - access to land, credit, information and new technologies and innovations. This will be a central challenge in many countries.
• The challenge and opportunity for synergy. The overall challenge for rice-based systems is to identify and execute synergetic solutions for rice development, and these are possible only if decision-makers, technicians, farmers and civil society are well aware of the many factors related to sustainable rice production. In addition, sound policies on rice development depend on the harmonization of diverse policy instruments, which are often under the auspices of different ministries. IYR aims to be an "information broker" for increasing information exchange, technology transfer and concrete action among all levels in the rice production chain and across all nations, for a synergetic approach to rice development and the improved management of rice-based systems.

C. A Conceptual Framework for the IYR Implementation

15. The fundamental aim of IYR implementation is to promote and guide the sustainable development of rice and rice-based production systems, now and in the future. In order to meet this overarching goal, the IYR strategy focuses on the following intermediary objectives:

• increasing public awareness of the contributions that rice-based systems make to food security, better nutrition, poverty alleviation and livelihood improvement;
• increasing public awareness of the diversity and complexity of rice-based production systems, and the challenges and opportunities for their sustainable development;
• promoting and providing technical support to ensure the sustainable development of rice and rice-based systems at the global, regional, national and community levels;
• promoting the conservation and enhancement of rice-based products in order to derive economic, social, cultural and health benefits for the world's human population.

In achieving its objectives, the IYR is committed to the following guiding principles:

• a participatory, consultative, innovative and proactive approach that acknowledges the abilities and capacities of all stakeholders to make a valuable contribution to enhance the sustainability of rice-based production systems;
• recognition of the agro-ecological, socio-economic and cultural differences among rice-based production systems, as well as of the constraints to their sustainable development in different regions, countries and communities;
• coordination and harmonization of efforts, contributions and participation among all stakeholders, through an agreed framework.

16. This IYR framework will consist of an organized system of UN General Assembly nominated partners at the global, regional, national and local levels. As the nominated lead organization, FAO has established an IYR Coordination and Implementation Unit to coordinate the activities at all levels.

• The basis of the IYR implementation strategy is to engage the entire community in initiating combined and mutually beneficial actions that address the challenges associated with a sustainable increase in rice production. This is to be achieved through: data collection and analysis; information dissemination via the multimedia; national, regional and global workshops, competitions and exhibitions; case studies; and the provision of technical support to member countries and farming communities. Reporting activities are particularly important and will include networking with stakeholders in order to monitor and advise on their activities, as well as producing a final report for submission to the Secretary General of the United Nations and to all stakeholders.
• The IYR will establish a framework for enhancing the sustainable development of rice-based production systems, and will provide some of the means for achieving this. The IYR will utilize its resources efficiently by helping to establish and assist national IYR organizing committees; these committees can continue to develop the IYR vision beyond the Year.
• After 2004, FAO will collaborate with partners in establishing and assisting follow-up activities for medium and long-term sustainable development of rice-based production systems. Sustainability must continue to be pursued beyond the IYR.