News Overview

by Afreen Khan1, Mamatha Goundla2, Ranjitha Puskur1 1 International Rice Research Institute 2Centre for Sustainable Agriculture Introduction Seeds are vital to agriculture, affecting productivity, climate resilience, nutritional outcomes, and biodiversity (Kramer and Galiè, 2020). The choice of seed is not just about yield or technical performance. It is a negotiation between tradition and innovation, between household food needs, market incentives

By Patti Petesch, Eleanor Fisher, Jon Hellin and Chona Echavez  Our social world appears to spin in ways that reinforce social inequities and environmental degradation. These dispiriting forces are the case in so many of the world’s smallholder communities, discouraging countless local women’s and men’s initiatives to reduce the vulnerability of their agricultural livelihoods and exposure to severe heatwaves, droughts,

(Image generated by AI) By Varunseelan Murugaiyan and Glenn Concepcion  The global food system is facing unprecedented pressures. Rising production costs, chronic labor shortages, dwindling natural resources, and accelerating climate change are forcing agriculture to adapt. Many scientists and policymakers look to the Fourth Agricultural Revolution, called Agriculture 4.0, which aims to integrate digital technologies into farming. Agriculture 3.0, the

In the Senegal River Valley (SRV) region, rice is primarily cultivated by smallholder farmers under irrigated ecosystems. The crop plays a significant role in the country’s economy, food security, and culture. The valley is the country’s major rice-producing region, with about 70% of the country’s total rice production, covering about 46% of agricultural lands. Secondary only to the SRV region

By Sankalp Bhosale, Suresh Kadaru, and Glenn Concepcion  The Rice Breeding Innovations (RBI) Demo plots at the Headquarters of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in the Philippines, showcasing the new elite rice varieties developed using the OneRice strategy for the prioritized market segments.  As the global population continues its relentless climb, projected to reach 9 billion by 2050, the

Government-led policies are propelling Odisha’s journey toward nutrition-sensitive agriculture  Edited by Ankita Tiwari  India’s nutrition challenge India, despite being one of the world’s largest producers of rice, continues to grapple with serious nutrition challenges. According to the latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 36% of children under five are stunted, 19% are wasted, and 32% are underweight. Anaemia is rising

By Carlito Balingbing and Glenn Concepcion In a significant stride towards safeguarding global food security and reducing reliance on harmful pesticides, a new study has identified simple, environmentally friendly attractants that can effectively monitor and control insect pests in stored rice. This innovative research, spearheaded by scientists from the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and partner institutions, offers a sustainable

By Rhowell Tiozon and Glenn Concepcion For the nearly 9,000 years since its domestication, rice has been selectively bred to feed a growing global population, becoming a staple food source that provides essential calories for billions. However, this long history of artificial selection has come at a cost. In prioritizing traits like higher yield and easier processing, humans have inadvertently