Established in 1960, we are among the largest non-profit agricultural research centers in Asia, with headquarters in the Philippines and offices in 14 nations. Supported by donors and partners around the globe, we are known as the home of the Green Revolution in Asia. We help feed almost half the world’s population. Our mission is to reduce poverty and hunger, improve the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure that rice production is environmentally sustainable.
The Web version of IRRI’s 2008 Annual Report is now online. Although as usual you can read about the Institute’s research progress, you can also see and hear about our work in a way that will make learning more about our accomplishments an enlightening and pleasurable experience. View video clips and connect to hundreds of links to discover the latest research results from IRRI’s seven programs and much, much more.
Entire genetic diversity of rice to be revealed and sharedNews & Events (Press Release)
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is inviting the global rice science community to join its vision to reveal the genetic diversity of more than 109,000 different types of rice and to make it available for rice breeders and farmers worldwide to breed and develop new rice varieties.
On the shoulders of giantsNews & Events (Featured article)
Right at the beginning in 1960, breeders at the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) began developing high-yielding shorter stemmed rice varieties that soon boosted rice production across Asia. As this effort continues to the present day, Rice Today’s October-December 2009 edition helps to officially launch IRRI’s 50th anniversary celebration. Quite significantly, IRRI’s research scope continues to broaden in terms of geography and networks. For example, rice production is gaining ground in Africa and this issue looks how the continent is accomplishing this.
New materials to facilitate PGRFA transferAnnouncements (Training)
An online self-study course on transferring plant genetic resources for food and agriculture (PGRFA), developed by IRRI's Training Center, is now available online in addition to new FAQs on the Standard Material Transfer Agreement (SMTA) recently put on the Web site.
Early rice harvests ease annual famine in BangladeshNews & Events (Press Release)
Bangladeshi farmers are benefiting from research that allows farmers to harvest rice earlier, giving them more time to grow a second crop to provide desperately needed food and ease hunger during monga – the hunger months.
Monga is a yearly famine that occurs in northwest Bangladesh from September to November after the previous season’s food has run out and before the harvest of transplanted rice in December.
