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Women play a pivotal role in agriculture. In the rice sector, more than 500 million women around the world are engaged in rice cultivation. Similar to men, women are engaged in rice production, postharvest, and processing, yet they continuously face gender-specific obstacles that put them at a significant disadvantage due to limited access to resources, learning opportunities, and farming technologies.

Access to education, whether formal or non-formal, is fundamental in empowering women. Education equips women with the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence to achieve their life goals. However, inequalities remain in educational access between men and women in different parts of the world. According to recent data, 122 million girls remain out of school globally, mostly due to geographic location and poverty. The World Inequality Database in Education (WIDE) and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics reported 10 countries that showcased the inequalities faced by women and girls in education. In these countries, 7 in 10 of the poorest young women of upper secondary school age are out of school, while in Guinea and Mali, almost all poor young women are not in school.

The exclusion of women and girls from education is influenced by various factors which are particularly intensified in rural areas where agriculture serves as a primary source of livelihood. Investing in women’s education has a broader societal impact. According to UNESCO, making sure that women have access to secondary and tertiary education increases their agency and decision-making and elevates their prospects for decent work, thereby fostering economic growth on a global scale.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) believes that women should have access to formal and non-formal education, especially in the field of rice science. As the institute’s educational and capacity-building arm, IRRI Education is at the forefront of making this happen by providing capacity development programs in various disciplines of rice science and technology. IRRI Education encourages the participation of women in its programs, specifically in its training courses and scholarship opportunities.

As one of the flagship programs of IRRI Education, short-term training courses have been offered since the establishment of the institution. These courses involve immersive engagements that focus on research, innovation, and knowledge and skills improvement. Through lectures with experts, hands-on learning, and on-field experiences, these training programs have empowered women, boosting their confidence and morale with their skills and competencies.

Notable training topics include rice breeding technologies, rice production, and postharvest technology, research data analysis and management, information technology, quality seed production, and pest and disease management. In recent years, a growing need to mainstream gender in rice research and technology has been identified. In response to this, IRRI Education designed and developed a training program that aims to educate participants with the importance of addressing social concerns including the gender dimension in agriculture and rice
research for development and extension. This training helps participants to learn how to integrate gender in rice research planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation as well as in leadership styles, and in the workplace. Additionally, through this training, they will be able to identify opportunities to contribute to the development of gender-responsive projects/programs.

Since 1964, more than 4,000 women have been trained under IRRI Education’s short-term programs, equipping them with the knowledge and skills in various aspects of rice science and research.

IRRI Education also engages women scholars and the youth through degree and non-degree programs. These programs allow qualified individuals to be involved in IRRI’s research platforms, working alongside world-renowned scientists. Since 1962, IRRI has hosted 5,181 scholars of which, 1,772 are women scholars coming from 92 countries around the world. This number is increasing continuously and is expected to soon close the gender gap. For the past five years, a total of 650 participants have completed various programs with IRRI, including students who conducted their research at the institute as well as oOn-the-Jobon-the-job Training (OJT) and internships. Out of the 650 participants, 52% consist of women.

Rice agriculture is continually facing dynamic and complex challenges and women are bearing the brunt of these. Still, the future holds immense opportunities for women and IRRI is dedicated to providing education and capacity building to continuously empower them to thrive in the dynamic field of rice production and science. However, this feat cannot be achieved by IRRI Education alone. There is a great need for collaborative efforts between the national systems, agricultural institutions, and donor organizations to invest in women to drive transformative change and bring about a brighter future for agriculture.

Echoing this thought, Dr. Anilyn Maningas, Head of IRRI Education shared, “Investing in women almost always creates a ripple effect in the sense that they can be very good role models for the family and the community where they are attached to. This could translate to ensuring a next generation that encourages and supports women that could easily extend to the generation to come”.

On 14 March, 26 Grade 1 students from Keys School Manila came to the International Rice Research Insitute’s (IRRI) headquarters in Los Baños, Laguna to participate in the Rice Planting Experience (RPEx) offered by IRRI Education.

Before the hands-on experience, the students were given a short lecture on the basics of rice production by IRRI Education’s facilitation team led by Mr. Aaron Paul Landicho. They were given a brief demonstration on various field activities such as seedbed preparation, pulling of seedlings, seed broadcasting, manual transplanting, and grid marking. Afterwards, the students went into the rice paddies to transplant rice seedlings using their bare hands.

“The Rice Planting Experience program is specifically made for the youth, aiming to immerse them in the practical aspects of rice farming. Through hands-on activities, participants of the program not only gain insights into the significance of rice but also acquire knowledge about diverse rice planting methods,” Aaron quote about the program.

The unique and immersive activity allowed the students to experience the fun and thrill of preparing the land and planting rice using a blend of traditional and modern technologies. By getting their ‘feet wet’ in the fields, participants gain firsthand knowledge and experience of the essential work farmers do to ensure we have rice at our meal tables.

“As the Philippines witnesses a growing population of aging farmers, the need to engage younger generations in agriculture becomes increasingly vital. This is what the RPEx tries to address—help the young ones realize the significant role that farming plays in sustaining life and fostering development in the country,” Aaron quote encouraging participation in RPEx.

The agriculture sector is grappling with multiple challenges that demand the emergence of a new generation of agricultural champions. IRRI Education emphasizes the importance of exposing young minds to agricultural practices as a foundational step towards inspiring their participation and engagement in the field. The RPEx is one of IRRI Education’s initiative to expose young people to the world of agriculture.

Learn more about IRRI Education and its programs at education.irri.org or email us at education@irri.org

Following a successful training implementation last year, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the College of Agriculture and Food Science (CAFS) of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) organized another training on the fundamentals of rice-farm management and operations and farm machinery maintenance tailored for technicians, farm workers, and heavy equipment operators from the Institute of Plant Breeding (IPB).

The two-day course is designed to equip participants with the fundamental knowledge and skills required in planning and operating rice farm machinery and equipment, incorporating lesson on the safe practices in operating agricultural machinery for rice production.

On March 13, during the opening program, Dr. Anilyn Maningas, Head of IRRI Education, welcomed the participants, outlining the different activities that they will be undertaking for the duration of the training. Concluding her message, Dr. Maningas urged the participants to actively participate in the discussions, engage with the resource persons, and to share their own knowledge and experiences with each other and with the IRRI team.

Following this, Dr. Adeliza Dorado, Associate Dean for Instruction of UPLB CAFS, also delivered a message stressing the significance of acknowledging the diversity among all involved in the training. She highlighted the inclusion of women participants in this year’s cohort, remarking, “Your participation underscores the invaluable contribution of women to agriculture, reinforcing the need for inclusive growth and equal opportunities in this vital sector”.

Ms. Ma. Lea Villavicencio, University Researcher and the Representative of the IPB Director, also gave a message expressing her gratitude for including staff from IPB into the training program. Echoing the message from Dr. Maningas, Ms. Villavicencio encouraged the participants to actively participate in insightful discussions with the resource persons, fostering a mutual learning environment.

In the course of two days, the participants will be exposed to an intensive program with activities involving lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and field visits, facilitated by IRRI experts in farm management and operations.

For more courses like this visit education.irri.org or email us at education@irri.org

With the threat of climate change to the agriculture sector, specifically to rice production, switching to sustainable rice cultivation is the way forward. Sustainable rice production optimizes rice productivity, protects the environment, mitigates climate change impacts, and safeguards the livelihood of smallholder farmers.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), as an authorized training provider of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), recently delivered a four-day course on SRP Standard and Performance Indicators to 14 individuals from Pakistan, Italy, United States, Philippines, India, Nigeria, and Bangladesh.

IRRI Education, the educational and capacity building arm of IRRI, led the facilitation of the online training. Dr. Nguyen Thi My Phung, IRRI consultant, served as the resource person for the training. The course, entitled “Driving Sustainable Rice Cultivation: Understanding the SRP Standards and Performance Indicators”, is a training-of-trainers course intended to capacitate individuals to help scale capacity building on the SRP Standards and Performance Indicators on-the-ground globally. Topics covered include an introduction to sustainable rice; the SRP Standards,covering the standard’s conceptual framework and the 41 requirements; the SRP Performance Indicators, which also covered the conceptual framework, the 12 SRP Performance Indicators, and how to use the performance indicators to measure impact; and an introduction to the SRP assurance scheme.

At the end of the course, participants were expected to understand the purpose of the SRP instrument, how they are linked, and how they can be used together to drive sustainable rice cultivation; and gain understanding of application of SRP Standard and Performance Indicators to meet targets of SRP outreach projects. The course was delivered purely online through a mixed modality of synchronous and asynchronous discussions and self-paced e-learning activities, utilizing IRRI Education’s Learning Management System.

Participants have expressed their enthusiasm in joining the course and the learning outcomes they have gained. “I enjoyed all the sessions during SRP training, especially the discussion in the breakout rooms and the presentations. It was all very interactive even though it was online”, commented Mr. Purnasenjeet Mishra.

Another participant, Ms. Maria Liberty Almazan, shared how much she has gained from the training from having no knowledge at all about SRP. She expressed that she now has the knowledge and skills to verify if a farmer’s way of rice farming is compliant to the SRP Standards by measuring the impact of his adoption of good farming practices.

Driving Impact and Scaling Sustainability

The SRP Authorized Training Program offers guidance, training and technical assistance to extension services, implementation partners and farmers to support upscaling sustainable practices. The SRP Standards and Performance Indicators course is designed to build a cadre of persons qualified to conduct farmer outreach, training, and verification activities in support of SRP objectives.

After successfully taking the course and the subsequent certification examination, participants were awarded the SRP Accredited Trainer certification which qualifies them to deliver training on the topic of the SRP Standard and Performance Indicators at scale.

“SRP is really underutilized in Nigeria. This training has provided me an opportunity to train smallholder farmers to keenly follow SRP Standards in rice production”, remarked Mr. Moses Igyuve, a participant from Nigeria.

“I recommend this course to those who are engaged in rice research. It is a valuable resource because it will help promote and improve the understanding and adoption of the standards for SRP in research projects and eventually the scaling in farmers’ fields. The course also provided me with insights on how crop protection specialists can contribute to the improvement of performance indicators for pest management.” said Dr. Nancy Castilla, a Senior Associate Scientist at IRRI Philippines..

About the Sustainable Rice Platform

The Sustainable Rice Platform is a global multi‐stakeholder alliance comprising over 100 institutional members from the public, private, research, civil society and the financial sector. SRP is registered as a not-for-profit member association working to transform the global rice sector by improving smallholder livelihoods, reducing the social, environmental and climate footprint of rice production, and by offering the global rice market an assured supply of sustainably produced rice.

SRP was originally co-convened in 2011 by IRRI and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), together with research and private sector partners. It was established with the goal of promoting best practices in rice farming that are environmentally friendly and socially responsible, while boosting yields for both commercial and subsistence farmers.

IRRI became an Authorized Training Provider for the SRP Standard and Performance Indicators in 2020.

Interested to join an SRP authorized course by IRRI? Send us an inquiry at education@irri.org

On November 14 and 15, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in partnership with the Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA), conducted a training workshop aiming to provide an overview of rice abiotic stress trials and the benefits of digital data collection. This program is an initiative under the Climate Smart African Rice Project in Morogoro, Tanzania, aimed at developing varieties tolerant to abiotic stresses such as flooding, salinity, and germination under anaerobic conditions.

The training was held at SUA, Morogoro, Tanzania and was participated by undergraduate and graduate students of the university as well as technicians and field staff from the Tanzania Agricultural Research Institute (TARI). Throughout the 2-day program, the participants attended lectures on environmental characterization, relative growth rate, taking measurements using the Fieldbook app,  stress screening protocols, and examples from physiology research. Aside from this, they also participated in several demonstrations in screenhouses on the use of rain gauge and soil hand texturing.

One of the highlights of the training was the hands-on activity where participants got to apply what they have learned in the lectures and discussions with the experts. Working in groups, the participants collected data in the screenhouses, formatted the data, calculated the relative growth rate (RGR), compared genotypic means by ANOVA, and visualized data with a bar graph using the R software. Notably, all analysis was done directly from the plant to the computer with no use of paper and pencil for data recording.

Participants also expressed their appreciation for the training. “I thank IRRI Education for this valuable training. The training was useful and has enlightened me with the knowledge and skills on rice characterization and digital data collection and will help my institute collect good quality data in our stress trials,” said Mr. Zakayo Machunde. Another participant Mr. Kalegi Nzingula Hamis noted, “I am thankful for the training because now I have added skills that will increase my working performance in my organization.”

Capping the sharing of testimonials, Mr. Paulo Sulle remarked “I highly recommend continuation of this type of courses to other scientists so to further strengthen the research capacity in the region”.

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the College of Agriculture and Food Science of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) organized a 2-day training on the fundamentals of rice-farm management and operations and farm machinery maintenance. 

From November 16 to 17, 30 technicians, farm workers, and heavy equipment operators from UPLB were at the IRRI headquarters to learn the basic knowledge and skills required in planning and operating a rice farm and maintaining rice farm machinery and equipment. The training will also highlight safe practice in operating agricultural machinery for rice production.

During the opening program, Gopesh Tewari, Head of IRRI Education, welcomed the participants. He talked about the role of machineries and mechanization in agriculture and how, moving forward, this would still play a part for agriculture 4.0. Ending his message, he urged the participants to interact and participate in dialogues with different IRRI scientists and resource persons of the program to enhance their knowledge and skills that they can bring back to UPLB. 

Meanwhile, Joanna Kane-Potaka, IRRI’s Deputy Director General for Strategic Engagement and Impact, talked about the core mission of IRRI and the imperatives that goes along with it, focusing on climate change adaptation and mitigation and nutrition and food security. She also shared about the ongoing collaboration between IRRI and UPLB and how the current training is a testament of these efforts. Ending her message, she posed a challenge to the participants, “as you go through this course, look for opportunities how what you’re doing and what IRRI is doing, how we may be able to work together more. If you can identify anything we’re really keen to collaborate more and look for opportunities there.” 

The dean of UPLB’s College of Agriculture and Food Science, Elpidio M. Agbisit, Jr., was also present during the program where he emphasized the importance of the training for the participants whom he considers as the backbone of their college. “This is the opportunity for you to acquaint yourself with the future of agriculture and we have to adjust so that we can [still] be relevant. I hope that everybody will listen, learn, and apply the knowledge that you will gain from this [training]”.

In the span of two days, the participants attended lectures on land preparation, crop establishment, water management and pest management, rice harvesting and post-harvest operations, and power sources in the farm. Aside from these, they also had hands-on training on farm machine maintenance and safety protocols for operating rice farm equipment. Moreover, they visited key IRRI facilities such as the Zeigler Experiment Station, where they observed the operations of post-harvest machineries; the IRRI Plant Growth Facility; and the IRRI Genebank.

IRRI Education, the educational arm of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) participated in the 6th International Rice Congress (IRC2023) last 16-19 October 2023, showcasing the innovations in capacity development and knowledge sharing.

The Rice Congress, held every four years, brings together scientists, policymakers, experts, and the private sector to discuss global rice trends and the changes and challenges in the agri-food sector. This year, the congress was held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.

During the four-day event, IRRI Education showcased its offerings through their state-of-the-art booth which offered interactive displays that reveals information about IRRI Education and its flagship services.

Riding on IRRI’s research and innovation, IRRI Education currently operates with five service portfolios – Short & Long Courses, Scholars & Youth Engagement, Online Learning & Product Development, Knowledge Sharing, and Advisory around Capacity Development – all of which underpin the commitment to producing holistic and integrated learning solutions, addressing learning gaps and expectations with sound educational innovations for global south.

Some of the highlights of the interactive display were the featured micromodules, where IRC delegates can simulate taking some of micromodules available in IRRI Education’s Learning Management System (openlearning.cgiar.org); the upcoming courses section, where they can see dates and application links to the courses lined up for the months of October to December of this year; the available scholarship section, where interested students can check out the opportunities available for them; and the videos in every section of the display, where IRRI Education showed the highlights and impacts of its programs.

IRRI alumni were also engaged through the feature dubbed as the IRRI Alumni Map. Previous scholars and trainees had fun pinning their locations in the map and connecting with other alumni from the same area as them. Aside from the interaction with the scholars, the map was designed to show the diversity of the IRRI Education alumni network.

For the duration of the congress, IRRI Education engaged in meaningful conversations with the attendees, ranging from scientists and researchers, leaders and policymakers, members of the private sector to students and local farmers. These conversations are expected to shape and inform the current and future program offerings of IRRI Education to align with the demands of its stakeholders.

In the evolving digital age, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently held a groundbreaking face-to-face course, ‘Digital Knowledge and Tools for Precision Farming’ from 3-5 October 2023. The program aimed to facilitate the adoption of appropriate digital technologies, maximize impact in the shortest time, and produce substantive benefits for the rice industry stakeholders.

The course offered an overview of digital knowledge and tools for precision farming within the rice value chain, highlighting their advantages and potential to maximize benefits for researchers, rice farmers, producers, and consumers.

This program was designed for the regional staff of the Philippine Department of Agriculture (DA), Philippine State Universities and Colleges, and Local Government Unit Agriculture Extension Workers (AEWs), as part of the SERVE 2 Project, a collaboration between DA and IRRI that aims to educate and help build the capacity of national agricultural extension and research programs (NAREP) towards Agriculture 4.0.

In the inaugural session of the course, Dr. Madonna Casimero, IRRI Senior Scientist and Project Leader for the SERVE 2 Project, emphasized the pivotal role of Digital Agriculture (Agriculture 4.0) and precision farming in Philippine agriculture. Following this, a panel of experts presented various technologies, including MOET, RCM, RKB, Rice Doctor, ORYZA, and more, exploring their applications throughout the rice value chain. The session also encompassed essential modules on data collection, data processing, big data and analytics, as well as the integration of digital knowledge. The participants concluded the program by presenting their action plans during a concluding presentation workshop.

“The Digital Knowledge and Tools for Precision Farming Course is the best training course I’ve had so far. It opened my eyes to the incredible potential within the rice value chain and how we can integrate other commodities specific to each region. I’m particularly excited about the future of small and smart farms, coupled with digital tools and highly innovative facilities, that will contribute to sustainable food production,” expressed Ms. Mitchel V. Canogoran, Technical Staff at the Department of Agriculture RFO12.

Another participant, Ms. Cherry Mae C. Cuevas, Assistant Professor 3 at Bulacan Agricultural State College, commented, “The training course was exceptionally well-organized, and every minute of the 3-day program was utilized effectively. I gained valuable insights and skills related to digital agriculture that I can enhance further and share with my colleagues, students, and various community members.”

As this program concludes, IRRI reaffirms its commitment to advancing digital agriculture and precision farming. The enthusiasm and insights shared by participants underscore the transformative potential of digital tools in agriculture. The journey towards sustainable farming through innovation continues, with IRRI working alongside in driving this movement forward.

IRRI South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) conducted a 3-day Training Program for Officials from The Directorate of Agriculture and Food Production, Odisha from 26th to 28th September 2023. The program was organized as a part of Odisha Integrated Irrigation Project for Climate Resilient Agriculture (OIIPCRA). A total of 20 Participants underwent the training program.

The aim of the visit was to expose the officials of OIIPCRA to the various Agricultural innovation and Climate Resilient Technologies that will help them in dealing with the existing and emergent climate related constraints to improving productivity and profitability of Agri-food systems in the state of Odisha.

The 3-day program had the participants develop their understanding in and around the following areas: Regenerative Agriculture, GAPs & Site-Specific Nutrient Management, Soil Health management & Possible Carbon Credits in Rice Based Ecosystems, Enhancing system productivity and resilience in rice-based Agri-food systems through appropriate crops cultivars and sustainable seed systems, Alternative Crop Establishment Methods & Component Technologies.

Coming to Seed system, sessions were organized around: Quality Seed Production: Overview & importance in Odisha context, Seed System and Product Management: An IRRI perspective, activities, and contribution with special reference to On Farm Trial, Biotic & Abiotic Factors Affecting Seed Quality during Production. The training program also threw light on Geospatial technologies and digital agriculture, Market Segments, Product Profile and Product Management.

The participants also had dedicated time to make a tour of ISARC’s field facility, Crop cafeteria, Speed breed facility and Labs and glean insight from work taking place in these areas.

Nine graduate students and rice researchers from Pakistan, China, Philippines, South Korea, Kenya, South Africa, Mozambique,and  Tanzania were trained on phenotyping for abiotic stresses in rice during the comprehensive training program offered by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The training, held on 18-22 September 2023, offered lectures and hands-on demonstrations of protocols for environmental monitoring, screening, and physiological measurements related to seedling stage, vegetative stage, and reproductive stage drought, seedling and reproductive stage salinity, heat, submergence, and stagnant flooding in rice. Field trips to stress-affected farmers’ fields in the Philippines were also organized where participants were able to interact and engage with local rice farmers and observe the real-life implications of abiotic stresses in rice. 

Dr. Amelia Henry, Senior Scientist II – Stress Physiology and Research Unit Leader – Traits for Challenged Environments, Rice Breeding Innovations, served as the main resource person for the training. She was joined by Dr. Waseem Hussain, Scientist I – Rice Breeding Innovations; Dr. Mahender Anumalla, Postdoctoral Fellow – Trait Development; Ms. Joie Ramos, Senior Associate Scientist I – Plant Breeding; Mr. James Egdane, Researcher – Plant Physiology; Mr. Mignon Natividad, Assistant Scientist – Drought Physiology; and Ms. Marjorie de Ocampo, Associate Scientist – Molecular Breeding.

“The course was delivered in a very interactive manner – full of practicals and hands-on activities, which made it very easy to understand and hard to forget. I highly recommend this to anyone who is dealing with abiotic stress experiments even on crops other than rice,” said Ms. Margareth Makauki, a researcher based in IRRI Regional Office – Africa.

Another participant, Mr. Joaquim Maquival, Assistant Scientist at IRRI Mozambique echoed the sentiment, saying “The training course for Phenotyping for Abiotic Stress was very useful as these are the main problems that affect the farmers’ fields all over the world. The combination of theoretical and practical sessions made the understanding of the topics for the course very effective.” 

In her concluding remarks, Dr. Henry encouraged the participants to keep the network with IRRI and each other intact. “Please feel free to contact us after this course, if you have any questions or ideas for collaborations because the only way that we will have impact for the farmers is by working through collaborations.”

The training is one of the courses offered by IRRI Education customized for scientists and researchers, farmers and extension, and leaders in the rice-based agri-food sector. To see the full suite of learning programs around Science, Technology Transfer, and Policy Leadership, visit https://education.irri.org/short-long-courses/