The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and International
Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have called for making of rice value chains
sustainable, reports NaijaAgroNet.
In a joint press statement made available to NaijaAgroNet gathered that in many countries around the world rice is a staple crop for food
security and consumption trends are growing.
“At the same time rice production is vulnerable to the
increasing impacts of climate change, including extreme weather events such as
droughts and floods,” the press statement read.
NaijaAgroNet reports that both FAO and IRRI are actively
promoting more sustainable rice practices throughout the value chain -
production, marketing and consumption - to optimize its nutritional properties
and as a means of improving livelihoods and tackling poverty, particularly in
rural areas.
FAO has developed the Regional Rice Initiative for Asia and
Pacific which promotes enhanced crop resilience while increasing efficiency and
farmers' income. In Africa and in Latin America the UN agency is engaged in
scientific and technical cooperation including the sharing of technologies and
best practices to increase production and productivity, including reduction of
post-harvest losses and improved grain quality.
IRRI is engaged in strengthening capacities of all rice sector
actors through its capacity development activities, including IRRI Education
and the Sustainable Rice Platform.
The Sustainable Rice Platform is a global alliance to
promote resource efficiency and sustainability in trade flows, production and
consumption operations, and supply chains in the global rice sector. The
Sustainable Rice Platform recently established the world's first standard for
sustainable rice. Through the Sustainable Rice Platform, IRRI aims to use
environmental and socio-economic benchmarks to maintain yields for rice
smallholders, reduce the environmental footprint of rice cultivation and meet
consumer needs for food safety and quality.
NaijaAgroNet noted that at the same time, IRRI Education works to build capacity
through-out IRRI's extensive partnership network.
Isaac Oyimah/GEE
... Linking agrobiz, sustainable environs, people & technologyPix: Rice varities courtesy IRRI
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