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News
about Rice and People
31
May 2002
The
First-ever Congress for The Food that Feeds Almost Half the World
Beijing,
China - An unprecedented gathering of international leaders in
science, business and government will take place in China in September.
The
meeting will focus on sustainable ways to keep some of the world's
most populous countries well fed and stable.
The
International Rice Congress will be held in Beijing at the China
International Hi-Tech Convention and Exhibition Center on September 16-20.
At
the top of the agenda for the first-ever meeting of the
international rice industry will be the effort to help farmers both
improve their incomes and protect the environment through sustainable
use of natural resources, while continuing to ensure reliable
supplies of the food that feeds almost half the planet every day.
"Equally
important as the food security issue at the congress will be renewed
efforts to improve the livelihoods of the world's hundreds of
millions of poor rice farmers," said Song Jian, vice chairman of
the Chinese People's Political Consultative Council (CPPCC) and
honorary chairman of the International Rice Congress Organizing
Committee. "For too long, many rice farmers have been trapped in
poverty and deprived of technologies that most farmers who grow other
crops take for granted."
The
congress is co-organized by the Philippines-based International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI), the State Development Planning Commission
(SDPC) of the People's Republic of China, the Chinese Academy of
Engineering (CAE), and the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences
(CAAS). Under the theme "Innovation, Impact and
Livelihoods," it aims to bring together for the first time all
aspects of rice production - one of the world's oldest and most
fundamental economic activities - with a focus on four main areas.
*
Research. The congress will feature the 24th International Rice
Research Conference (IRRC) on September 16-19. Organized every two
years by IRRI, the IRRC is the world's premier rice research event.
More information is available at the following website: <http://www.irri.org/>.
*
Trade and economics. The congress will include the World Rice
Commerce Conference, an annual event focusing on authoritative
commercial information and analysis regarding the rice trade, on
September 17-18.
Organized
by the Singapore-based company IBC Asia Limited, this conference
will bring together most of the world's leading rice traders, as well
as government policy makers and economists. More information is
available at the following website: <http://www.ibc-asia.com/WorldRice/WorldRiceIntro.htm>.
*
Technology and impact. Another event tied to the congress will be
the International Rice Technology and Cultural Exhibition (IRTCE), on
September 16-18. The exhibition, organized by the China Agricultural
Machinery Distribution Association (CAMDA), will include the latest
technologies from the developing world's national agricultural
research systems and nongovernmental organizations, as well as from
international agricultural research institutes such as IRRI and
institutes and companies based in the developed world. More
information is available at the following website: <http://www.camtf.com.cn>.
*
Culture. Through activities organized by the Philippines-based Asia
Rice Foundation (ARF), the congress will focus on rice as the
commonality that defines Asia and highlight the central role it plays
in many different cultures. A rice culture exhibit organized by the
ARF will be held as part of the IRTCE. More information is available
at the following website:
<http://www.asiarice.org>.
"The
congress is being held at an especially important time for the
international rice industry," explained Dr. Song, who is also a
member of IRRI's Board of Trustees and the president of the CAE.
"Not only have we had the recent breakthrough in decoding the
rice genome, but we also have other significant developments in rice
research, such as the work on Golden Rice - or rice biofortified with
provitamin A - and the increasing role of the private sector."
Other
crucial developments that will be discussed at the congress include
the impact of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on the international
rice trade, especially in the context of China's recent admission to
the WTO.
Today,
only six percent of world rice production is traded internationally,
but with continuing trade liberalization this figure is expected to
grow and may affect the ability of some countries to achieve or
maintain self-sufficiency in rice.
The
cultural role of rice is another interesting question to be raised
at the congress. As many of the world's oldest rice cultures - such
as Japan, China, India, Thailand and Indonesia - continue to develop,
what on-going role will rice play in their societies? The question
becomes ever more multifaceted when asked in the context of rice as
the key element that the nations of Asia share in their cultural and
historical legacies.
Fascinating
as these questions are, by far the most vital issues confronting the
congress focus on food security, poverty and the sustainable use of
natural resources. "The world's rice farmers face enormous
challenges," said Ronald P. Cantrell, the director general of
IRRI. "We must be ready to help them overcome these challenges,
or some of the biggest nations on the planet could face instability
and upheaval."
Among
the many issues facing farmers today are the crucial questions that
address how they will grow the additional rice the world will need in
the future while using less land, water, labor and chemical support.
"Clearly, rice farmers in many countries face a worsening crisis
over limited water supplies," Dr. Cantrell said. "They are
also losing some of their most productive land to other uses and the
farm labor they need to other industries.
"Considering
that rice production must be one of the most important economic
activities undertaken by any society anywhere, it's extraordinary
that so little international attention and resources are dedicated to
ensuring that we can maintain the production levels needed to feed
the billions of people who rely on rice each day," Dr. Cantrell said.
What's
so special about rice production? Put simply, no other single
economic activity feeds as many people, supports as many families, is
as crucial to the development of as many nations, or impinges on as
much of our environment. Rice production feeds almost half the planet
each day (approximately 2.6 billion people) and provides the core
income of hundreds of millions of poor rural households. Where
farmers receive fair prices and consumers are assured adequate
supplies at affordable prices, rice production provides the political
stability and economic foundation necessary for development.
Globally, rice covers 11 percent of the world's arable area.
#
# #
For
more information on the International Rice Congress and the
organizations taking part, visit the following websites:
The
International Rice Research Institute: IRRI: <http://www.irri.org>;
IRRI
Library:
<http://ricelib.irri.cgiar.org>
; Riceweb: <http://www.riceweb.org>;
Riceworld: <http://www.riceworld.org>
IRRI
is leading international rice research and training center. Based in
the Philippines and with offices in 11 other countries, it is an
autonomous, nonprofit institution focused on improving the well-being
of present and future generations of rice farmers and consumers,
particularly those with low incomes, while preserving natural
resources. IRRI is one of 16 Future Harvest centers funded the
Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), an
association of public and private donor agencies. For more
information, visit the websites of CGIAR (www.cgiar.org)
or Future Harvest (www.futureharvest.org).
Future Harvest is a nonprofit organization that builds awareness and
supports food and environmental research for a world with less
poverty, a healthier human family, well-nourished children, and a
better environment. Future Harvest supports research, promotes
partnerships, and sponsors projects that bring the results of
agricultural research to rural communities, farmers, and families in
Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
The
State Development Planning Commission: <http://www.sdpc.gov.cn/>
The
Chinese Academy of Engineering: <http://www.cae.ac.cn/>
The
Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences:
<http://w3.itri.org.tw/k0000/apec/China/CHINA24.htm>;
IBC
Asia Limited: <http://www.ibc-asia.com/WorldRice/WorldRiceIntro.htm>
The
China Agricultural Machinery Distribution Association:
<http://www.camtf.com.cn>
The
Asia Rice Foundation: <http://www.asiarice.org>
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