Panel links rice to 'poverty alleviation'

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Nguu Nguyen, executive secretary of the International Rice Commission, spoke to Washington Times reporter Takehiko Kambayashi about the U.N. International Year of Rice 2004. The General Assembly declared in December 2002 that this would be the International Year of Rice, whose theme is "Rice is Life." The observance promotes improved cultivation and access to this grain, which feeds half the world's population and provides income for millions of growers.

Question: You have said the dedication of an International Year to a single crop was unprecedented, but we have not heard much about it. What does that mean?

Answer: Rice plays an important role in contributing to food security and poverty alleviation. By declaring this year the International Year of Rice (IYR), the United Nations General Assembly would like to focus the world's attention on opportunities in rice-based production systems for improved livelihood and food security. [That would help] achieve a major goal of the U.N. Millennium Declaration: reducing the proportion of people living on less than $1 a day to half the 1990 level by 2015.

Q: What has been accomplished so far?

A: Through many conferences and activities relating to IYR, we have been able to raise awareness among all stakeholders concerning sustainable rice production ... for food security and poverty alleviation. The goal we still hope to achieve is support from policy-makers and others ... for ... sustainable rice production in developing countries.

One of the major achievements ... so far is the approval of a project supporting the dissemination of [New Rice for Africa (NERICA)] ... a new rice variety developed by scientists at [the Africa Rice Center].

NERICA rice varieties have a higher yield and [quicker] growth ... than other varieties. The [latter] could help rice crops escape the adverse effects of drought, and would also allow for crop diversification, which would improve human nutrition, farmer income and ensure soil fertility.

We have also received funding support from the Italian government for cooperation and implementation of IYR activities. [The IYR headquarters is located in Rome.] We have also received several requests for cooperation in projects of rice productions from member countries. But to us, IYR will be successful and meaningful when more rice is available and accessible to poor people in the countryside as well as in cities. ... For us, the IYR does not end with 2004. Whatever recommendations are received from stakeholders, donors, governments and policy-makers, the work of the International Rice Commission will continue to help ... countries formulate ... and implement projects on sustainable rice production to solve problems of malnutrition and poverty.

Q: You said rice is life for thousands of millions of people. In many Asian and African countries, rice is a central part of their culture, but in North American and European countries, rice is not a major part of the diet. How can you interest such countries in rice issues?

A: The Italian government has already provided funding support. We have already had a lot of activities, meetings and fairs in Europe. We also had activities and conferences in the United States.

Compared with the number of people who eat rice in Asia and Africa, [consumption in] the U.S. is still small. But even in the United States, the number of people eating rice is increasing because of the promotion of a healthy diet. Rice will continue to become more and more critical for people all over the world.

Meeting the demand of the growing population will require input and cooperation from stakeholders worldwide. This is a global concern.