International Rice Research Institute

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI ) is an independent research institution allgemeinnützige with the aim to improve the situation of rice farmers and consumers through research and development. The Institute was the first of 15 " Future Harvest Centers ", which together form the Founded in 1971, Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.

The institute was founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller Foundation in cooperation with the Government of the Philippines. Among other things, it has received the UNESCO Science Prize for his achievements in 1970. The headquarters of the Institute is located about 60 km south of the Philippine capital of Manila, Los Baños in the province of Laguna.

The Institute has made key contributions in the field of breeding new varieties of rice. The development of a special strong short -stemmed rice at the beginning of the 1960s is now seen as the beginning of the Green Revolution in rice cultivation and often seen as one of the pillars of the Asian economic boom. Also, it contributes to the development of golden rice.

The Institute is one of the institutions that have deposited seed samples in the Svalbard Global Seed Vault.

Earthquake proof kept chilled in the Institute over 109,000 different, partly ancient rice varieties that are being researched and preserved for future requirements.