The world's population is increasing by ca. 80 million humans per year and in developing countries the total production of food must be doubled within the next thirty years. This is an account of how a very small insect less than the size of a rice grain, known as the rice brown planthopper or BPH for short, has taught a lot of people about the balance of nature in Asian rice fields. There are many names for rice in every local language, including names for each of its stages of growth the rice seedling, the growing rice plant, the mature rice grain, the un-dried grain, the dried grain, the unhulled grain, the hulled grain, and cooked grain. And of course cooked rice also has diff e rent names depending on how it is cooked.
Rice is eaten three times a day by perhaps more than half the world's population.
A major international book on Asian rice pests published in the early '60s doesn't even have its picture. The crop protection industry has adopted a commitment to a comprehensive programme of stewardship to ensure the safe handling and use of its products. Preventing the build-up of obsolete stocks is a key aspect of ensuring the positive impact of these products, especially in developing countries where effective management schemes may not exist. Once products become obsolete or packaging i s damaged, industry expertise i s needed, within the framework of a multi-stakeholder approach, to find the appropriate approach for the local situation. Container management is also crucial to avoid unwanted environmental impacts of products.