Sustainability of rice in the global food system - IRRI books

sustainability macrocosm, particularly when confronting the uncertainty of potential
global change, are present when we study the agricultural sector and food security.
Further, the quasi-global characteristics of rice production and distribution provide a
microcosm of the macro issues that we must address. Because of the relatively rich
research base on rice, an examination of the crop, from production through consumption,
should shed light on the important interacting roles played by technical, climatic,
cultural, ecological, economic, social, religious. political, and geographical
factors and their temporal and spatial variations. In addition. such an investigation, if
structured correctly, should provide some insight into potential policy options for use
globally and locally.
This potential to provide insight into impact is clearly illustrated when we consider
the current and projected situation for rice production and consumption worldwide.
Rice provides about 40–45% of the calories consumed in the Pacific Basin, and
as much as 70% in Vietnam, Cambodia, and Bangladesh. Rice is one of the world’s
primary food crops; 90% of the world’s rice is grown in Asia, and almost all of it is
consumed there—a third in China and a fifth in India. Without considering substitute
foods, rice production must grow 60% by the year 2020 to keep pace with Asia’s
increasing population ( IRRI Toward 2000 and Beyond, International Rice Research
Institute, 1989). The amount of land available for cultivated rice production is not
increasing, partly because of the urbanization of the world’s population. It has been
estimated that up to 85% of all arable land in Southeast Asia is currently under cultivation.
Therefore, to meet the projected demand, a 3% increase in yield per hectare
per year on the remaining arable land is needed. But recent studies indicate that such
an increase is unsustainable: in fact, yields in many areas are declining, despite the
use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. New rice varieties, through genetic engineering,
mechanization, and a better understanding and use of soil chemistry, may be
useful for increasing yield. Other important considerations involve ideal farm size,
economies of scale in differing regions, and the social dislocation that would result
from any large change in existing systems.
In addition, because of rapidly escalating populations in Asia and the region’s
apparently limited ability to increase rice production to meet the growing demand,
sustainability of this crop must clearly be considered, almost from the beginning, on
a more global basis. In particular, the rice-producing capacity of the United States
and its ability to adjust to an expanding demand can become a key factor in determining
the security of this important food product.
The complex nature of the problem described is clear. Any attempt to seek understanding
and, ultimately, strategies to deal with such a problem must first address the
need to integrate the input of the many disciplines involved in considering both technical
and policy issues. This integration provides a way to achieve a common language
and effective method of communication among participants, and promotes a
strong inter- and intradisciplinary interaction.
To date, the problem of sustainability at any institutional level has not been adequately
structured and defined to the point where we might expect the required inte-
2 Greenfield and Dowling