Working with in-country partners, IRRI develops advanced rice varieties  that yield more grain and better withstand pests and disease as well as  flooding, drought, and other harmful effects of climate change. More  than half of the rice area in Asia is planted to IRRI-bred varieties or  their progenies. The institute develops new and improved methods and  technologies that enable farmers to manage their farms profitably and  sustainably, and recommends rice varieties and agricultural practices  suitable to particular farm conditions as well as consumer preferences.  IRRI assists national agricultural research and extension systems  (NARES) in formulating and implementing country rice sector strategies.

Alumni of IRRI's educational initiatives include some of the world's leading rice scientists as well as high-level NARES and agriculture ministry officials. From 1962 to 2019, more than 300,000 students, researchers, farmers, and extension professionals, among others, received some form of training from IRRI and its partners. Within this total number, more than 2,000 scholars conducted research at the institute while pursuing their MS and PhD degrees. As free educational resources, books co-published by IRRI available online have received a total of about 6.2 million views with more than 50 million page views since 2007.

We work worldwide with all research institutions that share our goal. In particular, we work with the national agricultural research and extension systems of the countries where our target beneficiaries live. Rice research has no political boundaries. We search for new solutions to both old and emerging problems through personal and institutional efforts and through partnerships with farming communities and other institutions, both public and private.