The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) declared the International Year of Rice 2004 during its 57th Session in December 2002. The dedication of an International Year to a single crop was unprecedented in UNGA’s history. In declaring the Year, the General Assembly affirmed the need to focus world attention on the role that rice can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty.
The IRC Newsletter Vol. 53 contains mainly the keynotes and papers presented during the second day of the International Rice Conference, which were presented by prominent scientists and authorities in rice research and development in order to share the current knowledge, thought and visions for sustainable rice production systems. The IRC Newsletter Vol. 53 aims to achieve the common objective of the implementation of the International Year of Rice:
The International Year of Rice promotes improved production and access to this vital food crop, which feeds more than half of the world population while providing income for millions of rice producers,
processors and traders. The development of sustainable rice-based systems will reduce hunger and poverty and contribute to environmental conservation and a better life for present and future
generations for whom Rice is Life.