Los Baños, Philippines - Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay visited IRRI headquarters earlier today for a briefing on rice science and food security. The vice president and his party were welcomed by IRRI Director General Robert Zeigler and the institute's senior leaders.
Deputy Director General Bruce Tolentino presented an overview of IRRI's research agenda and its partnership with the Philippine government through the Food Staples Sufficiency Program (FSSP).
FSSP objectives include bolstering national resilience to impacts of climate change, increasing adoption of yield-enhancing technologies, and conserving traditional rice varieties.
In response, the vice president emphatically stated that he would like to "focus on modernizing agriculture, ensuring all farmers gain access to the best technology, especially those developed at IRRI since the institute is located in the Philippines."
The vice president also visited the Long-Term Continuous Cropping Experiment, and the International Rice Genebank, which holds in trust for the world 127,000 different rice varieties.
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