International Rice Research Institute

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international independent research and training organization with headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna in the Philippines and offices in sixteen countries.The non-governmental organization (NGO) was established in 1960 to develop new rice varieties and rice crop management techniques with finding sustainable ways to improve the well-being of poor rice farmers and consumers as well as the environment in mind. The institute is one of 15 agricultural research centers on the world that form CGIAR. It is also the largest non-profit agricultural research center in Asia. IRRI is well known for its contribution to the "Green Revolution" movement in Asia during the late 1960s and 1970s, which involved the breeding of "semidwarf" varieties of rice that were less likely to lodge (fall over). The varieties developed at IRRI, known as IR varieties, are well accepted in many Asian countries. In 2005, it was estimated that 60% of the world's rice area was planted to IRRI-bred rice varieties or their progenies. A report published by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research in 2011 assessed the impact of IRRI's breeding work in three countries in South East Asia between 1985 and 2009. It found IRRI's breeding work delivered an annual benefit of US$1.46 billion per year and boosted rice yields up to 13%.

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