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ADB-IRRI Celebration of the International Year of Rice

Welcome Remarks by
Tadao Chino
President
Asian Development Bank

ADBHQ, Mandaluyong City
16 November 2004

Introduction

Assistant Secretary Poliquit, Dr. Otsuka, Dr. Cantrell, distinguished guests from the Philippine Government as well as the international community, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen;

It is a great pleasure for me to address this important event as we celebrate the International Year of Rice. I want to thank our long-time reliable partner, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), for joining us to organize this event. On behalf of ADB, I also would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to Dr. Cantrell, who is retiring this year.

During the last six years, under Dr. Cantrell’s exceptional leadership, IRRI has maintained its position as a global leader in its field. Dr. Cantrell has overseen a number of major scientific breakthroughs, such as sequencing of the rice genome, development of new rice varieties, and establishment of the first ever grain quality and nutrition facility at IRRI.

Dr. Cantrell can take a great deal of pride in his accomplishments and those of the organization during his tenure. He will be missed by his fellow scientists, as well as by development practitioners, including staff at ADB. Let us applaud Dr. Cantrell for his significant contribution to our common cause.

I would also like to applaud IRRI, the Philippine Government and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for their initiative to bring the significance of rice to the attention of the UN General Assembly.

The dedication of an international year to a single crop—rice—is unprecedented in UN history. But it rightly reflects the importance of rice as a primary food source for millions, and its essential role in reducing hunger and poverty, improving food security, and ensuring sustainable livelihoods of millions of people in the world.

It is difficult to disagree with the Japanese chef, Shizuo Tsuji, who wrote: "Rice is a beautiful food. It is beautiful when it grows, precision rows of sparkling green stalks shooting up to reach the hot summer sun. It is beautiful when harvested, autumn gold sheaves piled on diked, patchwork paddies. It is beautiful when, once threshed, it enters granary bins like a (flood) of tiny seed-pearls. It is beautiful when cooked by a practiced hand, pure white and sweetly fragrant."

But we also know that the beauty of rice is much more than “skin-deep.” Its true beauty lies in its ability to support and nourish the world—and, especially, the world’s poor.

Today, rice is the staple food for one out of every two people on earth. More than 2 billion people in Asia obtain 60 to 70 percent of their daily energy from rice and rice-related products. Rice production and processing employ over 1 billion people in rural areas of developing countries around the world, and small-scale farmers grow four-fifths of total rice production. These simple statistics highlight the overriding importance of rice in all aspects of our lives, in particular for those living in less developed countries. The theme of this International Year of Rice, “Rice is Life,” is indeed a fitting one.

Over the past forty years, the world has witnessed significant increases in rice production, resulting in less expensive foods and enhanced food security for millions of people. Rice production has more than doubled—from 254 million tons in 1965 to 576 million tons today. In 2003, ADB’s developing member countries account for eight of the world’s top ten rice producers. These impressive achievements were largely made possible by the green revolution, which brought improved rice varieties and production technologies, and by the concerted efforts of developing countries and the international community to promote rice production and processing industries.

The strategic partnership between ADB and IRRI has also been instrumental in improving the lives and livelihoods of millions through rice research and development. Over the past thirty years, ADB has cooperated with IRRI in supporting the rice-related research projects totaling $17.3 million.

Among the achievements of this partnership, we can note the establishment of the rice genetic resource laboratory at IRRI; the development of new methods for botanical pest control; the development and dissemination of high-yielding, and drought-tolerant rice varieties; the establishment of the Asian Rice Biotechnology Network; and the promotion of biodiversity in Asia.

I am also very pleased to learn that ADB is working closely with IRRI and other institutions on a cutting-edge research project on the fortification of rice to increase its iron content, thereby helping to alleviate the health and developmental impacts of iron deficiency among poor women and children.

Future Challenges and Opportunities

Despite these enormous successes, the rice-based system is currently facing serious challenges.

It has been estimated that ADB’s developing member countries will need to increase food production by 40 to 50 percent over the next three decades, simply to keep pace with population growth. It is worrisome to remind ourselves that the world’s food crop production would need to grow by 1.4 percent per annum for the next three decades to respond to expected demand, when annual output growth in this region averaged only 1.2 percent during the 1990s.

In addition to production issues, we see that cross-sectoral competition for land, labor and water is drawing resources out of agriculture, yield growth for the main food crops is slowing and, in some regions, environmental limits to crop intensification are being reached. These daunting facts suggest that it is more important than ever for the international community mobilize its resources and redouble its efforts to avoid a major food crisis, and to ensure a sustainable future.

In the meantime, these challenges also provide us the opportunity to reduce poverty and achieve the Millennium Development Goals, as set out the by the international community. Enhancing the productivity of rice-based systems through greater investments in physical infrastructure, science and technology, and strengthening institutional and human resource capacities will bring further boosts in food security, reduce hunger and poverty, enhance nutritional values, and improve quality of life. ADB looks forward to continuing its partnership with IRRI, the Government of the Philippines and other partners to improve the lives of millions of people in our region, and beyond.

Thank you for your attention, and very best wishes in your deliberations.