3. Book Launch at International Rice Congress: Rice in the Global Economy
Channel: International Rice Research Institute
Date: 18/11/2010

See: http://books.google.com/books/irri?id=OsvC2vEqkG8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

This book, Rice in the Global Economy: Strategic Research and Policy Issues for Food Security, was launched during the final session of the International Rice Congress in Hanoi on 11 November 2010.

In this video clip, Dr. Prabhu Pingali, former economist (1987-96) at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI: http://irri.org ) and currently Deputy Director of Agriculture, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, comments on the importance of the book, particularly on how it adds enormous value to what has been done before and that it incorporates the views of not just a couple of experts but of an entire community.

This volume provides a vision for the future of rice farming. It was considered to be an opportune time to put together scholarly contributions from experts on the field to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI; http://irri.org ) in 1960. Contributions included in this volume cover various aspects of the global rice economy, new developments in rice production technologies and post-harvest management, environmental issues, institutional innovations in technology delivery, rice marketing and trade policies, and broader R&D policy issues.  

Rice is the most important food crop of the developing world and the staple food of more than half of the world's population. One fifth of the world's population, more than a billion people, depends on rice cultivation for livelihoods.  On average, rice accounts for nearly half of the food expenditure of the poor people and a fifth of their total household expenditure.  

It has been well-established that the rapid productivity growth of rice resulting from the use of improved varieties, fertilizers and irrigation (popularly known as "Green Revolution") increased production and led to a long-term decline in rice price. This has been a single major factor contributing to poverty reduction in Asia over the past several decades.

Text of the book is available for downloading at http://irri.org/knowledge/publications/irri-books . Those who would like a hard copy should contact RiceworldBookstore@cgiar.org