IRRI annual report 2020 - unprecedented

ABSTRACT

This annual report provides information on the negative effects brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic to global agriculture and food systems and the various strategies applied by the International Rice Research Institute to tackle and overcome these negative effects. The success of various activities in partnership with respective partner agencies, such as a regional training workshop with Vietnam to introduce tools that support planning and decision-making for mitigation projects in rice farming, a webinar on laser land-leveling for Filipino farmers as well as the launching of the Rice Crop Manager Philippines, a blended virtual training for agricultural extension workers on delivering advisories to rice farmers through a weather-rice-nutrient integrated decision support system, and a blended workshop on digital data collection in Myanmar, among others, are discussed. The importance of strengthening collaboration and building more inclusive and robust partnerships with various governments despite the COVID-19 disruption is also pointed out.