| International Rice Research Institute | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | IRRI |
| Motto | "Rice Science For A Better World" |
| Formation | 1960 |
| Type | Non-profit research and training center |
| Purpose/focus | Research |
| Headquarters | Los Baños, Laguna |
| Location | Philippines |
| Region served | Worldwide |
| Director General | Dr. Robert S. Zeigler |
| Main organ | Board of Trustees |
| Parent organization | Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research |
| Budget | US$57 million (2010)[1] |
| Staff | 1,300[2] |
| Website | www.irri.org |
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is an international NGO.[3] Its headquarters are in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines, and it has offices in sixteen countries[4] . The main goal of IRRI is to find sustainable ways to improve the well-being of poor rice farmers and consumers, as well as the environment. The institute is one of 15 agricultural research centers around the world that form the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). It is Asia's largest non-profit agricultural research center.[5]
IRRI was established in 1960 and its research activities began in 1962. IRRI is well known for its contribution to the "Green Revolution" movement in Asia during late 1960s and 70s, 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 2010, the Global Rice Science Partnership (GRiSP) was launched, which IRRI leads in Asia, the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) leads in Africa, and International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) leads in Latin America. It aims to "dramatically improve the ability of rice farmers to feed growing populations in some of the world’s poorest nations". [6]
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