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The IRRI That Was/Is Misunderstood

No, I am not an un/known paid apologist of the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), but I am an agriculturist, UP Los Baños, and a writer, creative and critical – you have to appreciate being Critical before you can achieve the genius level of being Creative. And practice makes perfect, so!

The top image says, “IRRI: The Miracle That Never Was & Never Will Be,” a Facebook sharing by a group (never mind who). Here is its list of “Little-Known Truths About How IRRI Harms Filipino Rice Farmers” –

1: IRRI ignores the effectiveness of the peasant-oriented approach to growing food.
2: IRRI ignores the cries for justice of its workers and peasants whose rights it violated.
3: IRRI undermines self-sustaining peasant farming.
4: IRRI’s Green Revolution model is now being decried worldwide as it worsens the climate crisis.

Peasant-oriented approach to growing food?

Whatever it is or how it is carried out, sorry, but that “peasant-oriented approach” has failed to banish poverty among the farmers who do not know how to properly apply technology for farming.

Justice For IRRI Workers & Peasants?

Since 1959, when I was Freshman at UP Los Baños, I have been in and out of the campus, and I never heard, even whispered about IRRI abusing or not treating its employees right.

Personally, I see IRRI is not that brave. In 1980, I actually applied for a position in its Information Division – and I aced the Aptitude Test! What happened? IRRI was afraid of my genius.

3: Self-Sustaining Peasant Farming?

I happen to be the son of a not-so-poor farmer, so I know that our poor farmers do not know about self-sustaining farming – they are always the losers in the bargain! They are not entrepreneurial. They do not look at it as a business, which it is.

The farmers have to learn to mind their own business!

4: IRRI’s Green Revolution Worsening Climate Change?

To this I will have to agree 100% – but first, I must explain that in fact it was our President Ferdinand “FM” Marcos who declared the Green Revolution based on IRRI’s so-called Miracle Rice (IR8).

Yes, since there are millions of hectares of ricefields all over the world, they must be the source of nitrous oxide, the deadliest climate change gas the world has known. And that exactly is why we need the New Thinking for Agriculture that Secretary of Agriculture William Dar brought in with him when he was appointed 05 August 2019.

That must-remain-unknown group argues that “IRRI is implicated in the harsh realities plaguing the rice sector: poor, debt-ridden rice farmers, supply shortages, an overdependence on imports, poisoned environment, and health.” No, it’s not IRRI who is at fault; who is guilty is more our local government leadership who does not understand or appreciate how farmers remain poor – they like to borrow a fast P5 and pay a fat P6! And the Merchants of Venice take advantage of them almost always.

“How could a supposedly premier rice institution fail so spectacularly in its promise?” No, IRRI never promised You a Rose Garden!@517

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