World's largest rice science conference opens in Singapore, to discuss challenges facing rice production

Jose Hong Straits Times 15 Oct 18;

SINGAPORE - The production of rice, one of the world’s most important crops, is facing major problems, such as slow growth and climate change, which could increase its price by more than 30 per cent by 2050.

“We need major changes to our rice and food production systems, to make them more resilient to weather disruptions, and also to reduce their emissions and their impact on the environment,” said Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Monday (Oct 15).


Speaking at the opening of the International Rice Congress, Mr Wong said that although Singapore is a rice consumer instead of a producer, the country has turned its limited land space to its advantage by experimenting with more productive farming methods.

“After all, necessity is the mother of invention,” said Mr Wong, who is also Second Minister for Finance, citing examples of urban farming that produce more rice with less land.

The congress, also called the “Olympics of Rice Science”, is the world’s largest scientific conference on rice. It is held every four years, and is in Singapore for the first time.

This year’s conference, organised by the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) and Agri-food and Veterinary Authority, brings together 1,500 participants from 40 countries including scientists, government officials and representatives from international organisations like the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Among the announcements on Monday was a four-year partnership between Irri and Corteva Agriscience, the agricultural arm of chemical giant DowDuPont, which aims to improve global rice production and quality.

According to the two bodies, rice production needs to dramatically increase by 25 per cent over the next 25 years to meet the growing demands of the world’s population.

Both organisations will draw on each other’s scientific strengths to breed rice that will overcome looming challenges of climate change and decreased rice productivity.

Corteva, for instance, has access to seven million farmers throughout South and South-east Asia through its educational and outreach programmes, while Irri has expertise in rice genetics.

Mr Peter Ford, president of Corteva Agriscience (Asia-Pacific), said: “Our shared goal for this partnership is to help rice farmers to become more productive and sustainable.”

Irri director-general Matthew Morell said Singapore’s importance to international trade made it a natural choice for this year’s conference: “While agriculture plays a limited role in the economy of Singapore, the country is a significant logistics and shipping hub for rice trade. In addition, its robust financial market and reputation for regulatory rigour position it as an ideal location for a rice futures market that can help ensure the availability and affordability of rice worldwide.

“The International Rice Congress 2018 in Singapore provides a springboard for meaningful discussions on the policies, innovations and partnerships that can drive the growth of an equitable global rice sector.”

Ms Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO assistant director-general and regional representative for Asia and the Pacific, said: “The world is changing rapidly, and the future world rice economy will look much different than it does today.

“Diets are changing towards fish, meat, fruits and vegetables, although rice will remain the foundation of Asian diets, especially for the poor.”

Mr Wong said that everyone needs to come together to overcome the vast challenges facing rice’s future.

“Agriculture can and must be part of the solution to tackling climate change. We must intensify our research, enterprise and collaboration efforts to transform rice and agricultural production methods,” he said.

The congress, held at Marina Bay Sands, runs until Wednesday.


Agreement to preserve world's largest rice collection signed in Singapore
Jose Hong Straits Times 16 Oct 18;

SINGAPORE - The grain that feeds half the world has been given a boost to ensure it never dies out.
Almost $2 million each year will be pumped into a rice repository - a genetic treasure trove of 136,000 rice varieties - to conserve and distribute them to the countries that depend on rice.

At a time when harvests have plateaued and there are more mouths than ever to feed, research into the different grains could produce super rice which can thrive in the harsher weather brought about by climate change.

Crop Trust, the Germany-based international organisation whose mission is to ensure the survival of plants the world feeds on, will fund the International Rice Research Institute (Irri) to the tune of US$1.4 million (S$1.9 million) a year.


While funding goals will be revised every five years, Crop Trust has said it will permanently bankroll the endeavour.

Irri is an international organisation dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science. It holds the genes of 136,000 types of rice in Los Banos in the Philippines.

The two bodies met at Marina Bay Sands to sign the agreement on World Food Day on Tuesday (Oct 16) during the 5th International Rice Congress.

From 2019 to 2023, Crop Trust's funding will be used to cover the rice institute's essential operations, including the conservation, regeneration and distribution of its cultivated and wild seed collections.

Crop Trust executive director Marie Haga said: "This is a landmark moment for Irri and for Crop Trust. At a time when many donors have increasingly complex demands on their resources, it's important that the world's crop collections are safe, secure and the gene banks functioning effectively."

The issue of climate change and its impact on rice is evident, say experts.

In order to avoid catastrophes including falling crop yields, deadlier weather extremes, habitat loss and ever higher sea levels, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that deep emission cuts are needed before 2030.

On Oct 8, the United Nations' climate panel released a report pointing out that the world needs to lower its global warming limit from 2 deg C to 1.5 deg C.

One of its coordinating lead authors argued that the effects of climate change would be "exponentially more dramatic" above 1.5 deg C.

Scientists worldwide have been using the seeds stored at the rice institute's high-tech facility in Los Banos to develop improved rice varieties that can withstand the impact of climate change while keeping pace with the growing world population.

The institute's scientists have already used rice samples in the bank to develop varieties capable of handling drought and flooding, which are already threatening production in key rice-producing regions in Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and China.

A particularly exciting variety is called "scuba rice". It can withstand flooding for up to two weeks, compared to most rice varieties which die within days of being submerged under water.

This scuba rice variety is currently being grown by five million farmers in Indonesia, the Philippines, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Laos. Researchers are presently adapting scuba rice for Africa as well.

Evolutionary biologist Ruaraidh Sackville-Hamilton, who manages the rice institute's gene bank, said: "Everyone in South-east Asia will benefit from this, as it ensures that rice can continue to be improved and adapted to meet local nutritional needs of our growing population despite the challenges of climate change.

"With this collection safely conserved, we can continue to use it to develop improved rice varieties that farmers can use to respond to the challenges in rice production, and to adapt to the changing tastes and preferences of consumers everywhere."