World Food Day-rice-AFIC<\/p>\n
JP\/18\/RICE<\/p>\n
World Food Day on Oct. 16 celebrates rice<\/p>\n
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation has
\ndeclared 2004 the International Year of Rice, with the slogan
\n"Rice is Life".<\/p>\n
Rice is the most important staple crop for more than 50
\npercent of world's population and this year's World Food Day on
\nOct. 16 will highlight how researchers are continuing to develop
\nnew, more nutritious rice strains -- as does this article from
\nthe Asian Food Information Centre.<\/p>\n
The Japanese consider rice their "mother". The Chinese form
\nof the greeting "How are you?" is "Have you had your rice today?"
\n-- implying that a person who has eaten rice is well.<\/p>\n
Vietnamese farmers consider themselves "not poor" if they can
\nhave rice every day of the year.<\/p>\n
Indeed, rice is at the foundation of cultures and
\ncivilizations in many parts of Asia. The crop was first grown in
\nthe river deltas of East and South Asia thousands of years ago
\nand it was the productivity of wetland rice that gave birth to
\nthe first civilizations in India, China and along the Mekong
\nDelta.<\/p>\n
Rice has evolved together with these communities and today,
\ncomes in myriad colors that range from white to brown to red to
\nblack; textures that may be grainy or sticky, and flavors, with
\nthe highly priced Jasmine and Basmati varieties being the most
\nfamous.<\/p>\n
Rice still forms the cornerstone of the socioeconomic and
\npolitical landscape in many Asian countries in the 21st century.
\nAsia is still the most important continent where rice is grown,
\nconsumed and exported.<\/p>\n
Because of its role in food security, income generation and
\npolitical stability, rice production is subject to much
\ngovernment intervention.<\/p>\n
From Japan to India, Asian communities are strongly protective
\nof their rice fields and resist global pressures to liberalize
\nthe rice trade. For developing countries and those still highly
\ndependent on agriculture, improving rice production reduces
\npoverty and hunger and promotes food security and economic
\ndevelopment.<\/p>\n
Nutritionally, more than 2,000 million Asians derive more
\nabout 60 percent to 70 percent of their daily caloric needs from
\nrice. Rice is so important to the Asian diet that it may be the
\nmain component of almost all the meals Asians consume.<\/p>\n
Yet, it is this dependence on rice that mires millions in
\nchronic micro-nutrient deficiency. While rice is able to provide
\nadequate energy, it has an incomplete amino acid profile and
\ncontains limited amounts of micronutrients.<\/p>\n
Milling, which produces white rice -- the most commonly eaten
\nform -- removes large amounts of protein, fiber, fat, iron and B
\nvitamins.<\/p>\n
Therefore, the most common nutritional problems in poor rice-
\neating communities are protein-energy malnutrition and iron,
\niodine and vitamin A deficiencies.<\/p>\n
About half of women in their reproductive ages in Asia suffer
\nfrom iron deficiency while vitamin A deficiency affects 10
\npercent to 25 percent of children and pregnant women.<\/p>\n
In South Asia, the level of sub-clinical vitamin A deficiency
\nin pre-schoolers may be as high as 1 in 3.<\/p>\n
Iron deficiency reduces a child's ability to learn and is a
\nleading cause for maternal deaths. Vitamin A deficiency may lead
\nto blindness, and is a major risk factor in infant and maternal
\nmortality even at low levels.<\/p>\n
Hence, it is imperative to improve rice's nutritional profile
\nto ensure that communities most at risk and those most dependent
\non rice as their staple food obtain adequate nutrition from
\neating rice.<\/p>\n
Research into improving the nutritional value of rice has been
\nprogressing at an exciting and fruitful pace. Scientists use a
\nvariety of tools at their disposal -- traditional breeding of
\ndifferent rice strains, improving the genetic sequence of rice
\nstrains and fortifying rice by adding nutrients during the
\nmilling process to make rice more nutritious.<\/p>\n
The discovery of the African rice species, Oryza glabberima,
\nhas given scientists the raw ingredients to develop more
\nnutritious rice, especially in Africa. O. glabberima may range
\nfrom 1mg to 6mg of zinc and iron (two minerals not found in Oryza
\nsativa) and 5g to 14g of protein per 100g rice.<\/p>\n
Incorporating these traits into commercial rice varieties
\ncould substantially improve current levels of global
\nmicronutrient deficiency.<\/p>\n
Indeed, scientists have made significant headway with
\ntraditional breeding. Plant breeders at IRRI (the International
\nRice Research Institute), in collaboration with IFPRI (the
\nInternational Food Policy Research Institute) have developed a
\nnew strain of rice that has 4 times to 5 times more iron than
\nnormal rice.<\/p>\n
Iron was selected as the target micronutrient as iron
\ndeficiency is the most common and prevalent micronutrient
\ndeficiency in the world.<\/p>\n
A group of 300 Catholic nuns in the Philippines volunteered to
\ntest out the high-iron rice and the preliminary results have been
\npromising.<\/p>\n
The trial showed that nuns who consumed the high-iron rice had
\na 10percent increase in their body iron while those who ate
\nnormal rice actually lost 6 percent of their body iron.<\/p>\n
The results of the trial shows that biofortification of rice
\nwith iron is possible and effective and creates impetus for both
\ncontinuing efforts to improve iron content of rice, and to
\nimprove micronutrient concentrations of other crops.<\/p>\n
Another promising project is to fortify rice with vitamin A.
\nSince rice does not produce vitamin A naturally, scientists
\nresorted to genetic tools to introduce a gene that produces beta-
\ncarotene, a substance that the human body converts to vitamin A.<\/p>\n
The work, pioneered by Swiss scientist, Ingo Potrykus, has now
\nbeen passed to IRRI for further development.<\/p>\n
While a lot of work still needs to be done before vitamin A-
\nenriched rice appears on consumer tables, the project showcases
\nthe potential to use innovative tools in improving rice's
\nnutritional profile.<\/p>\n
In addition to these methods now being pursued, rice
\nfortification -- a process of adding nutrients into rice during
\nmilling -- is also being studied as a quick and inexpensive
\nmethod of improving rice's nutritional profile.<\/p>\n
Studies have been carried out to fortify rice with iron, B
\nvitamins, Vitamin A and calcium, with varying degrees of success.<\/p>\n
In Asia, the Philippines has been at the forefront of
\nfortifying rice, with experiments that began in the 1940s.<\/p>\n
However, despite successful feeding trials and a law mandating
\nthe enrichment of rice, progress to date has been limited. The
\nPhilippines is trying to revive rice fortification with iron and
\nthe preliminary results of the trials are promising.<\/p>\n
But as illustrated by the earlier Philippines experience,
\npolitical will and governmental involvement is crucial in
\nensuring the success of a rice fortification project.<\/p>\n
Developing new rice varieties that are more nutritious is both
\npromising and challenging. As more of the earth's population
\ndiscover rice, it is imperative that new rice strains keep up
\nwith the demand that rice provide adequate nutrition.<\/p>\n
Indeed, the Food and Health Organization asserts that
\nnutritional considerations are essential to the International
\nYear of the Rice and to fulfill the concept that Rice is Life.<\/p>\n
in box
\nFor further information, visit International Rice Research
\nInstitute and the FAO International Year of Rice website at
\nhttp:\/\/www.irri.org\/events\/IYR2004\/index.asp<\/p>\n
The Asian Food Information Centre website is at www.afic.org<\/p>\n
The centre is a Singapore-registered not-for-profit society
\nwhose mission is to provide science-based information.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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