While the whole world is grappling with the dreadful effects of climate change, the world’s premier rice center, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), offers nothing but the same old technological solutions. Problem with drought? IRRI has a drought-tolerant variety. Problem with flood and salt-water intrusion? IRRI has the varieties too. But none of it is really going to work. The problem is not that there is climate change, but that it is largely a result of an industrial food system that IRRI’s seeds and technology continue to perpetuate and reinforce.
On April 04, 2010 IRRI will celebrate its 50th anniversary in the midst of a global food and climate crisis. At least 2.4 billion people are currently living in highly water-stressed environments. As we write, at least 2.3 million people have already died of hunger while more than a billion people are suffering from undernutrition. (http://www.stopthehunger.com)
The poor farmers and the rest of the marginalized sectors across Asia believe that it is time for IRRI to close shop. Fifty years of shameless existence is enough. We offer fifty reasons why this “IRRIsponsible” institution should be shut down.
A. IRRI has changed the nature of rice research in Asia; research that should have been geared to genuinely address the needs of Asia’s people
1. Because IRRI promoted the Green Revolution program which changed rice farming system into one that is costly, poisonous and not relevant to farmers’ conditions.
...Because IRRI endorsed
the use of chemical inputs
and huge amounts of water,
thereby contributing to
the worsening of climate
change.
2. Because of IRRI’s influence, National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES) in Asian countries have been conditioned to adhere to IRRI’s prescriptions. 3. Because IRRI advances the notion that the only solution to hunger is to increase rice production by any means and at any cost. 4. Because IRRI’s research agenda is decided upon by its funding institutions, which are mostly private agricultural corporations whose main interest is profit. 5. Because IRRI systematically detached farmers from participating in any venue for the development of rice varieties. 6. Because IRRI turned farmers into passive and dependent recipients of IRRI technology. 7. Because IRRI, by deceiving farmers, has stored a rich collection of rice varieties in its facilities which only benefit local and transnational corporations. 8. Because IRRI influenced the direction of agricultural education, research and decision-making by universities and public institutions, with strong private agenda. B. IRRI systematically deceived farmers when it introduced high-yielding varieties (HYVs) of rice to boost crop yields, when in fact these caused massive environmental damage and far worse agricultural conditions. 9. Because IRRI, through its package of technologies, caused massive erosion of traditional yet effective farming systems and made farmers dependent on IRRI and transnational corporations. 10. Because IRRI promoted the massive loss of traditional rice varieties and genetic diversity in Asia. 11. Because IRRI essentially prevented farmers from freely exchanging seeds, by promoting use of hybrid rice seeds, and in the near future, IPR-protected genetically modified seeds. 12. Because IRRI promoted the extensive use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers which caused the poisoning of waters and soils. 13. Because IRRI endorsed the use of chemical inputs and huge amounts of water, thereby contributing to the worsening of climate change. 14. Because IRRI created seeds that invited more pests into farms. 15. Because IRRI’s technology introduced two of the most destructive and persistent rice pests and diseases along with its seeds – the tungro virus and golden snail. 16. Because the productivity of IRRI’s rice varieties had already reached its plateau as early as the 1980s. 17. Because IRRI’s research on genetically modified rice varieties could seriously compromise the environment and people’s health once released. C. IRRI boasts of the success of its Green Revolution program in increasing rice productivity. However, it brought nothing but disappointment, frustration and much worse living conditions for small farmers and majority of the people. 18. Because IRRI encourages the use of costly farming inputs that pushed farmers neck-deep in debt and poverty. 19. Because IRRI has made the majority of farmers – ironically the food producers – at the forefront of hunger. 20. Because IRRI, through its poisonous chemical inputs, caused the sickness and death of many farmers. Pesticide poisonings is estimated at 25 million occurrences involving agricultural workers per year because of the increasing use of fertilizers and pesticides that IRRI’s modern rice varieties require. 21. Because IRRI caused the helplessness and desperation of millions of farmers, forcing them to turn their backs on farming. 22. Because, despite the supposed success of IRRI’s programs, the price of rice in the market has continued to go sky-high. 23. Because, in spite of IRRI’s alleged developed technology, majority of the people in Asia still go hungry. D. IRRI cannot deny its influence on government policies on agriculture. It has never been neutral. Governments have used the Green Revolution as an effective instrument to divert the clamor of farmers for genuine agricultural development to fake development focused on high crop yields. 24. Because IRRI, in cahoots with the Philippine government, swindled farmers of their lands where IRRI’s 252-hectare headquarters now stand. 25. Because IRRI pushed governments to adopt its seeds and technology to ensure rice sufficiency that all miserably failed. 26. Because IRRI can not deny its hand in the passage of the Presidential Decree 1620 to protect its interests. IRRI now invokes this law to dismiss unfair labor practices filed against it by IRRI employees and workers. 27. Because IRRI, again invoking PD 1620 (the presidential decree that grants diplomatic immunity to IRRI), does not own up to its obligation to provide protection to the workers in its experimental farms, who are perpetually exposed to poisonous chemicals that cause their sickness and death. 28. Because IRRI, in the face of farmers’ protest actions that call for its closure, still had the audacity to continue its operations in the Philippines. 29. Because the Philippine government continues to adhere to IRRI’s prescriptions, the country still has not attained self-sufficiency in rice. 30. Because with IRRI’s help, the Philippines is now the largest importer of rice in the world. The country is going to import an all time high of 2.2 million metric tons of rice this year. 31. Because IRRI serves as advisers to money-rich countries to lease from poor countries agricultural lands, where they can plant rice and other produce. E. Since the establishment of IRRI, agrochemical transnational corporations (TNCs) have been the sole beneficiaries of IRRI’s programs and technologies. IRRI is a stamp pad for technologies created by these TNCs. 32. Because IRRI changed the sustainable and self-sufficient farming into a practice that is costly, based on chemical inputs and high technology, and tied to a market system that is monopolized by TNCs. 33. Because IRRI has been an instrument of imperialist countries, especially the US, for Asian countries to open up their markets for agrochemical products. 34. Because IRRI and its Second Green Revolution or Gene Revolution legitimized the control of TNCs over rice varieties and seeds. IRRI did this in exchange for continued funding from TNCs. 35. Because IRRI assisted agrochemical TNCs in gaining huge profits while billions across the world go hungry. F. IRRI must be closed immediately! It must be replaced by a rice institution that will serve the genuine interests, capacity and needs of farmers and the people. 36. Because IRRI’s costly, chemical-based and profit-oriented type of agriculture should be eliminated. 37. Because we prefer sustainable agriculture that is more environment-friendly. 38. Because we want safe, affordable, nutritious and appetizing food. 39. Because we demand genuine agrarian reform. 40. Because we want farmers to be free from debt and poverty. 41. Because we want farmers to have increased rice yields. 42. Because we want to nurture our environment. 43. Because we want to lessen farmers’ costs of production. 44. Because we want farmers to adapt to the effects of climate change. 45. Because we want to eradicate malnutrition with the help of sufficient and balanced food. 46. Because we want to be free from the control and exploitation of foreign and local agricultural corporations. 47. Because we want the workers victimized by IRRI to receive indemnification. 48. Because we want IRRI to be held accountable for its crimes to the people. 49. Because we want the farmers to get back the lands which IRRI seized from them. 50. Because we want agricultural science and technology that serve the interest of the people. Despite the 50 years of IRRI – the self-proclaimed home of the Green Revolution – rice farming throughout Asia has not improved. 50 years of Green Revolution, yet our food systems are in crisis with poverty and hunger rising across Asia. New technologies and modern varieties are clearly not the answer. Enough with IRRI’s worthless researches and seeds! Shut down IRRI now!
