News Overview

2025 marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a pivotal moment for women’s rights globally. While the Declaration has undeniably propelled women’s empowerment across numerous nations, the journey toward gender equality in agriculture remains unfinished. Empowering women in agriculture is not merely a matter of fairness; it’s a critical step toward achieving broader sustainable development

By Dr. Shalabh Dixit, Xenina Ibabao, Myrtel Valenzuela Aerial view of IRRI’s direct-seeded rice phenotyping facility at its headquarters in Los Baños, Philippines. IRRI has revolutionized rice breeding for direct-seeded rice (DSR) systems by establishing state-of-the-art phenotyping facilities in Kenya, India, and the Philippines. These hubs promote sustainability and climate resilience for smallholder farmers in Asia and Africa while speeding

by Veronica Mae Escarez In Odisha, incentivizing farmers who seek knowledge about agricultural insurance can motivate them to enroll and then be de-risked from the effects of climate changez In India’s state of Odisha, rice production amounts to about 11.9 million tons, dominating their total grain production of 14.1 million tons. Rice is widely cultivated in rainfed and is usually

by Bidhan Mohapatra, Ashok Kumar, and Virender Kumar Mrs. Supriya Das, a 49-year-old woman farmer from Bada Gumula village in Ganjam district, Odisha, has set a remarkable example of innovation and empowerment in agriculture. With the support of the IRRI and Government of Odisha Direct-Seeded Rice in Odisha (IRRI-GoO-DSR-Odisha) Project, she is revolutionizing the way her village approaches farming by

by Bushra Humaira Sadaf, Md Abdul Haque, Abu Abdullah Miajy Sharif Ahmed, Humnath Bhandari This article highlights Dilip Kumar Roy’s journey from struggling farmer to successful entrepreneur, showcasing the power of sustainable farming and support. “People used to call me lazy and useless. I was unsuccessful in every aspect of my life and felt completely defeated,” says Dilip Kumar Roy,

LOS BAÑOS, Philippines, 24 January 2025 – The Enterprise Breeding System (EBS) is playing a key role in modernizing breeding programs across CGIAR, enhancing data management and decision-making for multiple crops. While initially designed to support staple crops like rice, EBS is now being integrated into the Alliance of Bioversity International – CIAT’s Forages Program, marking its first implementation within

This water-conserving, emission-reducing, and cost-saving practice can help farmers, but challenges still remain for widespread adoption. A new paper published in Nature Food by an international team of scientists proposes that an innovative rice irrigation methodology, known as Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), has significant potential to transform rice farming globally, contributing to enhanced water productivity while maintaining high yields.

2025 marks the 10th year since the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (IDWGS) and the 30th year since the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action were declared to elevate gender equality by leveraging women’s rights. This year, IRRI is celebrating IDWGS with the theme “Her Rice Science” by exploring diverse career paths that girls and women can