International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)

Based in the Philippines, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the oldest and largest international agricultural research institute in Asia. It is an autonomous, nonprofit rice research and education organization with staff based in 14 countries in Asia and Africa.

Its mission is to reduce poverty and hunger, improve the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure that rice productio is environmentally sustainable. We work closely with most rice-producing and -consuming countries and their national agricultural research and extension systems as well as farming communities and a range of international, regional, and local organizations. In partnerships with these national systems, we conduct research and provide training and education for those helping rice farmers by disseminating information and proven, sustainable technologies.

IRRI was established in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundations in cooperation with the Philippine government. Our headquarters—which feature modern laboratories, training and accommodation facilities, and a 252-hectare experimental farm—lie next to the main campus of the University of the Philippines Los Baños, about 60 kilometers south of the Philippine capital, Manila.

Almost half the world depends on rice as a major source of food. Although most rice producers and consumers live in Asia, rice is also an essential staple and a source of income for millions of others in Africa and South America. Many of these people are among the world’s poorest, making rice production one of the planet’s most important economic activities.

Rice farms also cover 11% of the world’s arable area, so the development of sustainable technologies can have a large positive impact on the global environment.
Increased rice production has resulted in a spectacular drop in the real price of rice over the past 40 years, providing the poor with vital additional income.

Its mission is to reduce poverty and hunger, improve the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensure environmental sustainability through collaborative research, partnerships, and the strengthening of national agricultural research and extension systems. Its goals is to Reduce poverty through improved and diversified rice-based systems; ensure that rice production is sustainable and stable, has minimal negative environmental impact, and can cope with climate change; improve the nutrition and health of poor rice consumers and rice farmers; provide equitable access to information and knowledge on rice and help develop the next generation of rice scientists and provide rice scientists and producers with the genetic inform.