Bangladesh: Women in aquatic agriculture celebrated

A Bangladeshi woman farmer giving a presentation
during a workshop in Jessore.

The workshop, Women in Aquatic Agricultural Systems to celebrate International Day of Rural Women, was held on 4-5 November 2012 recognizing the role and contributions of rural women farmers in the agriculture and aquaculture sectors for eradicating poverty and hunger.

The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) took part in the workshop by setting up a stall showcasing postharvest management activities on rice seeds. After harvest, the women farmers do the rest of the farm work--threshing, drying, storage, and selection of good seeds.

Grace Mozena, wife of the U.S. ambassador to Bangladesh, was guest of honor for the workshop.

Women farmers who are working with CSISA-IRRI gave presentations during the workshop--a chance to share their experiences and how CSISA's training activities have made a difference in the way they farm.

The workshop was held in Jessore and was organized by WorldFish.



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Rice research in good hands as young IRRI scientists come together

IRRI's young scientists, as well as their more experienced colleagues, have come together for the 2012 IRRI Young Scientists Conference (IYSC) to share their work and insights on rice research, 8-9 November 2012 at IRRI Headquarters in Los Baños.

The conference is driven with the theme, Sustaining excellence in rice research, which hints of the current status of research in agriculture in general and rice in particular.


IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler expressed enthusiasm for the event, saying that IRRI's future rests a lot on this new generation of scientists.

"Without a crop of vibrant, intelligent, dedicated, and caring young scientists, IRRI would not have a future," Dr. Zeigler said in the foreword of the 2012 IYSC abstract book. "Armed with knowledge gained at IRRI, the unique experience they get here, and valuable professional relationships they foster, our current batch of young scientists, I believe, will continue this legacy of contributing to a better world through rice science."

Likewise, Achim Dobermann, IRRI's head of research, said that IRRI needs to anticipate needs in the value chain decades from now. "Young scientists must play a leading role in such efforts and thus help shape a new image for modern agriculture," Dr. Dobermann said.

Presentations of abstracts will cover these areas of rice science: crop improvement, crop protection, extension, marketing and policies, environment and sustainability, genetics and genomics, and innovations and novel approaches.

The conference will also celebrate 50 years of scholarship and training at IRRI. An exhibit for this celebration is located at the breezeway in Harrar Hall, IRRI.


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Exhibit opens to celebrate IRRI scholars

A brief ribbon-cutting ceremony today (7 November 2012) opened a month-long exhibit with the theme, Building the next generation of rice scientists: Beyond 50 years of IRRI scholarships, at IRRI headquarters. [Posters on exhibit]

The exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the first scholar at IRRI in April 1962 and is sponsored by the IRRI Training Center and the Association of Fellows, Scholars, Trainees, and Residents of IRRI (AFSTRI).


Speaking at the event were Noel Magor, head of the IRRI Training Center, and Robert Zeigler, IRRI director general. Joining them for the ribbon-cutting were V. Bruce J. Tolentino, IRRI deputy director general for communications and partnerships; and Gelia Castillo, rural sociologist, IRRI consultant, and Philippine national scientist.

The event kicked off the 2-day (8-9 November) 2012 IRRI Young Scientists Conference on Sustaining Excellence in Rice Research. [Program]


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GRiSP oversight committee holds second meeting

The Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) Oversight Committee (OC) held its second annual meeting at IRRI on 13 October 2012, right after the GRiSP Global Science Forum.

The GRiSP Program Planning and Management Team also participated in the meeting, during which the following issues were raised:

• Differing views on future changes in the rice sector
• Role of mechanization
• Transformation of rice supply chains in Asia
• Changing roles of public and private sectors in responding to farmers’ needs
• How more small farmers can be reached
• GRiSP as a portal and guiding principle for rice R&D
• Emphasis on theme linkages
• Emphasis on partnerships
• Need to review monitoring and evaluation (M&E) framework
• Need to review gender strategy

Kei Otsuka was nominated vice chair of the GRiSP OC, which also established a Nominating Committee composed of five members.

The OC plans to conduct a mid-year virtual meeting to discuss the progress of GRiSP.

The next OC annual meeting will be held in Yaounde, Cameroon, in October 2013, right after the AfricaRice congress.


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Changes in the rice sector discussed in GRiSP science forum

The GRiSP Global Science Forum was held at IRRI on 11-12 October 2012, in two parts:

The first part was composed of discussions on structural changes in the rice sector. The drivers of structural transformations were identified as (1) a changed farmer population (labor becoming less available, older, and comprised mostly of women); (2) rising labor costs due to demand for labor that led to a greater need for mechanization, reliance on service providers, and land consolidation (through purchases, renting, or cooperation creating “virtual” large fields); and (3) a stronger private sector, which was transforming itself also into a knowledge delivery provider.

The second part saw progress reports from CIAT, IRRI, Africa Rice, CIRAD-IRD, and JIRCAS for last year.

The GRiSP effort is found rapidly progressing, and continues to receive enthusiastic support from participants.



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IRRI Board of Trustees seeking new members

The IRRI Board of Trustees would like to solicit nominations for new members who will start their terms in 2014. Preference will be given to those who have expertise in finance and audit and are from Southeast Asia, East Asia, or South America. Female nominees are highly encouraged.

Three members complete their terms by the end of the year.


Nominees must consider carefully the commitment required: 2 meetings a year—one in April, for 5-6 days, and another in October, for 4-5 days, plus travel and preparation time and modest email traffic between meetings.

All nominations will be reviewed by the Nominating Committee during the BOT meeting in April 2013. These must be made using the nomination form and sent not later than 28 February 2013 to V. Bruce J. Tolentino (b.tolentino@irri.org), Secretary to the Board of Trustees, copying Ramon Oliveros (r.oliveros@irri.org).


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U.C.-Davis scientist scientist wins Louis Malassis Prize

Pamela Ronald, who has worked with IRRI scientists to develop Sub1 (or flood-tolerant) rice, is one of two winners of the Louis Malassis International Scientific Prize for Agriculture and Food, launched by Agropolis Foundation. 

Pamela is a professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at UC-Davis. She has worked a lot to improve rice resistance to diseases and tolerance to flooding, which are serious problems of rice crops in Asia and Africa.

Full story on the GCARD blog


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