Strategic assessment of international rice research priorities: Comparing the potential of rice technologies to make a difference for the poor, the food insecure, and the environment in Asia

An IRRI Seminar

By David Raitzer
Scientist/Strategic planning and impact assessment specialist
Social Sciences Division, IRRI

On behalf of the Strategic Assessment Team

1:15–2:15 P.M., Thursday, 27 June 2013
Havener Auditorium, IRRI

Abstract:

This seminar reports on an institute-wide ex ante analysis of the potential benefits of new rice production technologies across Asia from 2014 to 2035. The main objective of the analysis is to identify technologies that offer the greatest potential for overall economic benefit, improving the welfare of the poor, and reducing the environmental footprint of rice production under changing environmental and social conditions in Asia.

This analysis consists of four sequential steps:
1) Development of baseline scenarios that reflect the implications of external changes in production conditions, land use, markets/consumption, poverty, and hunger;
2) Identification of the prevalence and spatial distribution of target problems that rice technologies can address;
3) Characterization of expected on-farm effects and diffusion of new technologies over space and time; and
4) Economic welfare, poverty, food security, and land use modeling of development impacts.

The seminar will reveal areas of IRRI research that are likely to make the biggest contributions to different aspects of IRRI’s mission over the coming decades, given our best contemporary understanding of future research potential, target problems, and market relationships.