Special section: RICE AND MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS

by the IRRI-led project Poverty Elimination Through Rice Research Assistance (PETRRA) in cooperation with the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute. The PETRRA fair attracted some 2,000 visitors each day to see for themselves the progress made by the 45 research-for-development subprojects under the innovative PETRRA umbrella. All PETRRA subprojects use rice research and extension as the entry point to spur rural development and improve the lives of rice growers and consumers alike. This reflects the conviction that research to help farmers grow rice more efficiently, profitably and sustainably is the essential first step toward achieving six of the eight United Nations Millennium Development Goals. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger: Most of the worlds poorest and least foodsecure people live in riceproducing Asia. Many are rice farmers and even more are slum-dwellers or landless farm laborers who buy their daily rice. Rice is so central to their lives that any solution to global poverty and hunger must include research that helps farmers earn a decent profit while growing rice that is affordable to consumers. Promote gender equality and empower women: Women traditionally shoulder many of the chores of rice farming and today are assuming additional responsibilities as their menfolk seek off-farm employment. Research that makes rice farming more efficient frees women to grow cash crops and independently pursue remunerative activities to support personal fulfillment and cover school fees for all of their children, boys and girls alike.

Millennium Development Goals DEPEND ON RICE RESEARCH

Reduce child mortality and improve maternal health: Because Asias poorest depend on rice for most of their calories and protein, many suffer dietary deficiencies of iron, zinc and vitamin A. Globally, hidden CAROLYN DEDOLPH hunger for these essential micronutrients afflicts more than half of humanity, especially women and young children. Making rice more nutritious will help protect those most vulnerable to hidden hunger. Ensure environmental sustainability: Rice occupies more farmland in Asia than any other food crop 60% or more in the poorest countries. Rice research that improves the productivity of existing fields boosts harvests in line with growth in the number of mouths to feed, without encroaching on forests and other natural areas. Research that optimizes farmers pesticide and fertilizer use improves their income as it protects the environment.

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CHRIS STOWERS (4)

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chieving most of the Millennium Development Goals spelled out by the United Nations 3 years ago hinges on policymakers recognizing the essential role rice plays in the lives and livelihoods of most of the worlds poor. A renewed emphasis on this reality has marked recent gatherings in international agricultural research. IRRIs parent organization, the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), welcomed almost 1,000 policymakers, scientists and development specialists to the groups annual general meeting on 28-31 October in Nairobi, Kenya the only country to host the headquarters of two CGIAR research centers, the World Agroforestry Center and International Livestock Research

Institute. Much of the discussion at the CGIAR meeting focused on defining the achievements and challenges of the CGIAR research centers in terms of the Millennium Development Goals. People are discovering that the goals have practical value, said Mike Jackson, IRRIs director of program planning and coordination. They provide research organizations with a touchstone for assessing the relative merits of different projects in a tight funding environment. And they provide policymakers and funding agencies with a framework to guide their investments. Some 7 weeks before the CGIAR confab, an IRRI Board of Trustees meeting in Dhaka, Bangladesh, coincided with a 2-day communication fair sponsored

Achieve universal primary education: Asias poorest spend 20-40% of their income on rice. Helping farmers grow rice more efficiently means cheaper rice for consumers, higher income for producers, and more money for both to invest in their childrens education. More efficient rice farming techniques also lighten the labor burden on farm households, leaving children more time for their studies. ARIEL JAVELLANA

Rice Today January 2004

Rice Today January 2004

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