Bridges Trade BioRes • Volume 2 • Number 14 • 26th September 2002
Rice-Producing Countries Call for Greater Cooperation to Combat Rural Poverty
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During the International Rice Congress in Beijing, government officials and rice experts called for greater cooperation among Asian rice-producing countries in their efforts to lift farmers out of poverty. In particular, governments discussed how states could ensure that poor farmers benefit from agricultural research and technological innovation. The Chinese President gave an example of this by announcing that China would share sequencing information on thousands of rice genes thereby supporting its neighbours in taking advantage of existing research and technologies. “The sequencing of the rice genome will be the first sequencing project to yield tangible results for humankind from the standpoints of food security and combating malnutrition” said Ronald Cantrell the Director General of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).
“Rice Experts Target Fairer Deal For Poor Asian Farmers,” Deutsche Presse Agentur, 18 September 2002; “China to Freely Share Research on Rice Genome,” ABC, 20 September 2002.
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