“Half of the world’s population, around 3.5 billion people, eat rice daily. By 2050 annual global rice consumption is estimated to rise from 415 million tons to 525 million tons. While more than 90 percent of this rice is eaten in Asia, including the region’s 515 million people still affected by hunger, the demand for rice in Africa is growing at 7 per cent per year. Of the 667 million children under the age of five worldwide, nearly 151 million are stunted as a result of malnutrition,” said Dr. Matthew Morell, Director General, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
IRRI, Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA), and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of UN jointly organized the 5th International Rice Congress (IRC 2018). The Congress renewed its commitment to a world without hunger by 2030. Kundhavi Kadiresan, Assistant Director General, FAO and regional representative for Asia and the Pacific, said: “diets are changing towards fish, meat, fruits, and vegetables although rice will remain the foundation of Asian diets, especially for the poor. Global rice trade is increasing, and climate change is affecting rice production. FAO is working with IRRI and other stakeholders to create relevant knowledge products that leverage the rapid technological changes taking place. Our objective is to make smallholder farmers more resilient and competitive,” said Kadiresan.
I am scheduled to visit IRRI, Manila from 22 October and look forward to visiting IRRI and ADB.
