May 10, 2024
K-State's Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient Cereals visits Bangladesh
Staff from the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Climate Resilient Cereals, lead by Kansas State University, recently visited its partner institution, the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, or BRRI, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
While there, they met with rice breeders, scientists and farmers to discuss the challenges they face due to climate shocks, urban migration and evolving production practices. The BRRI director general and team accompanied 12 U.S. CRCIL partners from K-State, Cornell, Clemson, Delaware State and Louisiana State universities for farmer community and research station visits across multiple agroecological zones in southern Bangladesh.
"BRRI stands apart as a leading national rice breeding institute in South Asia," said Jagger Harvey, CRCIL director. "Their dedication has contributed to the four-fold increase in rice production in Bangladesh since independence in 1971. We are privileged to partner in extending BRRI's continuing success in bolstering food security and resilience."
The innovation lab is a $22 million USAID grant that aims to advance the climate resilience of wheat, sorghum, millet and rice through breeding.