APD | Southeast Asia Food Transformation Agreement signed

By APD writer Melo M. Acuña

MANILA, April 9 (APD) – The Los Baños, Laguna-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), WorldFish and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) signed a five-year tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today which provides a framework for cooperation on research for development (R4D) initiatives.

The agreement emphasizes the need for sustainable intensification and management of rice-fish production systems in irrigated areas and wetlands in Southeast Asia.

It was learned the agreement aligns with the CGIAR (Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research)  2030 Plan which calls for transformations of its research programs to push for “food systems revolution” and take the challenges related to sustainability, nutrition, genetics, socio-economics, and information and to further contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through closer cooperation between Centers.

“This agreement exemplifies a food systems approach to transforming the global rice sector.  The combined global research expertise and influence of IRRI, WorldFish and IWMI in the core elements of diets such as rice and fish, as well as land and water systems make this strategic collaboration essential to a food systems revolution,” said IRRI’s Director General Dr. Matthew Morell.

Prior individual and joint program partnerships between and among IRRI, WorldFish and IWMI had positive results.  Among the agreements are the CGIAR (Challenge Program in Water and Food in 2004, and an earlier project on fish-rice between IRRI and WorldFish with Bangladesh research and non-profit agencies.

Quite recently, WorldFish, IRRI and IWMI worked together for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR)-funded Development of Rice Fish systems (RFS) in the Ayeyarwady Delta project.  The project, according to a statement released y IRRI Tuesday afternoon, aims to improve productivity and profitability of rice-fish systems in Myanmar and seeks to benefit small-scale rice farming households, and fishers by diversifying production in rice-based farming systems and landscapes, enhancing resilience of rice-based farming systems.

Meanwhile, WorldFish Director General Dr. Gareth Johnstone said the multi-agency partnership provides a “strategic pus” for wider research, promotion and implementation of integrated rice-fish systems and builds on previous successes of WorldFish and its partners.

He added the partnership helps create opportunities to leverage individual research expertise and network strengths to accelerate the sustainable supply of nutritious fish and rice into national, regional and global food systems.  He added the agreement can further improve regional cooperation through increasing awareness, disseminating knowledge and formulating critical solutions.

IMWI Deputy Director General – Research for Development Mark Smith said various agencies are bent on the fulfillment of almost the same Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“We envision a sustainable food, nutrition, and water secure world and this strategic partnership gets us closer to that goal,” IMWI’s Mark Smith added.

Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), IRRI, WorldFish, and IWMI will work together to develop and implement R4D activities to discover the impact of rice-fish production systems on environmental, socio-economic, and cultural values on land and waterways.

The R4D projects will be development according to themes which will include constructed water bodies, rice-fish landscapes, climate resilience and water, trade-offs and foresight analysis, ICT and big data.  

(Top image: A five-year Memorandum of Understanding signed by IMWI Deputy Director General - Research for Development Mark Smith (extreme left), IRRI Director Generfal Dr. Matthew Morell and WorldFish Director-General Dr. Gareth Johnstone at IRRI Headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna (64.8 kilometers south of Manila).  The agreement provides a framework for cooperation in the fieled of Research for Development (R4D) in rice-fish production systems. /IRRI Photo)

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)