Our Work

Rice grains that are safely enhanced with increased vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids or secondary metabolites hold the promise of improving the nutritional status of the marginalized and undernourished sectors of the population.

This research program is focused on advancing the environmental sustainability of the rice-based system through transformative and multidisciplinary research and approaches. Focusing on the five core domains – Air & Climate, Water, Energy, Soil health, and Biodiversity & Pest ecology – this theme works on  improving the productivity and income from rice-based systems while minimizing the environmental footprints.

By facilitating the adoption and translation of enabling technologies and making them accessible to all stakeholders, we build and strengthen partnerships and networks for a more equitable playing field in research-driven innovation.

By developing future scenarios, policies, and strategies for rice agri-food systems, we facilitate dialog and guide prioritization of future-focused research, development, and policy investments that shape pathways towards income, food, and nutrition-secure futures.

There is a need to make people-centric innovations and technologies available to vulnerable socio-economic groups like women and the youth that are dependent on rice-based agri-food systems. Through knowledge, training, and capacity building, there is an opportunity to empower marginalized sectors and uplift their productivity, incomes, and way of life.

By empowering farmers with comprehensive, integrated, and synergistic solutions that maximize yields and improve productivity and incomes, we can uplift the rice sector from the bottom up and create a more sustainable and resilient framework for enhanced food security.

Through the International Rice Genebank managed by IRRI, rice breeders can develop new and improved rice varieties that meet the needs of rice consumers and improve food security.

By advancing the frontiers of agro-geo-information systems through the distillation of complex data into accurate and accessible information, we can enable more precise planning and better decision-making in our agricultural strategies, leading to sustainable environmental management and improved food security.

Through the adoption of technologies that build climate resilience and sustainability of rice-based systems in unfavorable environments around the world, we can improve productivity, increase rice production and income, and help contribute to food security.