International Year of Rice

The United Nations is celebrating the International Year of Rice (IYR) by having the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) spearhead projects linking UN agencies, non-governmental organizations, governments, and even the private sector to work together to support the growing global rice industry and bring about changes that will support developing nations and improve the quality of life for millions upon millions of people.

The International Year of Rice is a very special occasion, as it stands out among other years by being dedicated to a single crop. Such a case, however, is more than warranted. Rice is one of the most important agricultural products in the world: more than half the world's population depends on it as a source of food, and its potential to alleviate poverty and hunger is a quality that should not be overlooked. Originally suggested by the International Rice Research Institute, this year's specific theme focuses on "Rice is life." The reason for this, aside from rice being a fundamental part of most people's diets, is its potential to improve the quality of life for millions of people.

Specifically, the FAO has outlined many different goals and plans of action for this year, many of which are included on their IYR website. One of the most important aspects, however, is the ability that proper cultivation of rice has to help alleviate hunger, poverty, and environmental damage around the world; issues that are central to the Millennium Development Goals. First and foremost is world hunger. Over two billion people suffer from malnutrition in today's world and without a proper plan of action this will only increase as the population grows. Rice, however, can change all that. Although it is not viewed as a highly nutritious source of food, proper preparation of rice can, in fact, deliver nutrients like fiber, fat, protein, zinc, iron, and B vitamins. Through selective breeding and even genetic modification of certain rice species, the ability of rice to act as a nutritious staple jumps to unprecedented levels.

The Millennium Development goals, however, also strive for sustainable development and making sure farmers and corporations adopt environmentally friendly attitudes. According to the FAO, the fundamental objective of the IYR is to "Promote and help guide the efficient and sustainable development of rice and rice-based systems now and in the future." The clearest goal for such an objective is to raise awareness and educate farmers on improving their methods regarding rice cultivation.

By educating farmers on topics like biodiversity and using natural methods to solve problems, it is possible to reduce the amount of harmful pesticides and fertilizers being used in rice fields and consequently polluting the surrounding environment. Indeed, some solutions to common problems regarding rice farming can actually benefit the ecosystem! The use of Azolla, an aquatic fern that grows in rice fields, for example, helps increase the amount of nutrients in rice through a safe and natural process.

At the present time, rice farming methods are incredibly diverse and many are very inefficient. Most rice fields yield about four to six tonnes of rice per hectare and compared to an average potential of around ten or eleven tonnes, this is unacceptable. Many rice farms are, however, small-scale operations that incorporate farming techniques which have been passed down from generation to generation and lack the agricultural know-how that can help increase the production level of a rice field. By educating farmers on natural solutions and how to take biophysical factors like climate and soil conditions into consideration when farming, crop yield can become much more efficient than current levels. Moreover, an increase in crop yield will mean that expanding rice fields for growing demand will not be necessary, thus preventing the degradation of the environment surrounding the farms.

Two other important and difficult goals are also outlined in the IYR agenda, the first being the minimization of the technological gap between rice farmers. Some rice farmers use inefficient traditional methods for growing rice, while others have the ability to use high-tech solutions for problems that cannot be solved otherwise. Investigating the potential of genetically engineered rice is another aspect of the technical side of rice cultivation.

The second important goal, however, is pressing governments to support their rice farmers through funneling funds into research and development, as well as adopting policies that will be beneficial to farmers in general; trade liberalization in the rice industry is usually frowned upon, as this can threaten the farmers within one's own country, but like farm subsidies affecting other types of farmers, many policies focusing on rice farmers can actually hurt them rather than help them. The FAO actually goes as far as to state that some of the rice policies adopted by governments, such as those dealing with land tenure, actually derogate from the crop yield rice farmers end up with.

If a fraction of the goals set forth for the International Year of Rice are met by the FAO and others involved, rice farmers and those depending on rice as a source of food and nutrition will be just some of the people that benefit. Today, rice is a means to a livelihood for more than 100 million people, most of which are small-scale farmers. By developing more efficient ways of rice farming and educating farmers, it is possible to not only raise the quality of life of those farmers, but to also help alleviate a nutritional problem plaguing about one third of the world!

Supporting such ambitious goals is of the utmost importance: their success can change the lives of millions of people and help developing nations become self-sufficient. As the world's population grows at an unprecedented rate, inefficient farming methods will serve to simply make a large problem even worse; the International Year of Rice - 2004 - aims to change such farming practices and set a trend for sustainable development and growth. Such is a noble cause, and one that should be worked towards not only in 2004, but in every year to come.<WM

Copyright ©World Mission Magazine

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Rice around the world

• Rice growing is believed to have originated in China and southern and eastern Asia around 10,000BC.

• In 2001/02, approximately 589 million tones of paddy rice was produced worldwide.

China and India were the largest producers.

• Rice is the staple diet of over half the world’s population. Approximately 405 million

tones were consumed in 2001/02. China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Vietnam are the largest consumers of rice.

• Rice is versatile and is used to make main meals as well as desserts. Some rice types have special qualities: jasmine and basmati rice have fragrant aromas that complement savoury dishes, while arborio rice is preferred for risotto and paella because the grains absorb the flavour of the dish.

Nutritional benefits of rice

• Rice is an excellent source of energy. It is rich in carbohydrates, which are broken down into glucose to provide energy for working muscles and fuel for the brain.

• Rice is low in sugar and total fat and saturated fat. It is cholesterol-free, contains negligible amounts of salt and has no additives or preservatives. It is suitable to include in a diet for those watching their weight or on cholesterol-lowering diets.

• Rice is gluten-free, making it ideal for people who are unable to tolerate the proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, oats and triticale.

• The glycaemic index (GI) ranks foods based on their immediate effect on blood sugar levels. Eating low GI foods, such as certain varieties of rice, can lower insulin levels which makes fat easier to burn and less likely to be stored.