Asian Rice Bowls

by Pingali, Prabhu L.; Hossain, Mahabub; Gerpacio, Roberta V.; C. A. B. International; International Rice Research Institute

• ISBN13: 9780851991627
• ISBN10: 0851991629
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1997-06-12
• Publisher: Cab Intl

Summary

Less than two decades ago, the world was focusing on the impending food crisis across Asia, which was given little hope of ever being able to meet its rapidly growing food demand. Since then, Asia has made a quantum leap in food production. Technological innovations and policies that promoted intensive rice production systems helped achieve this. The authors of this book argue that there is a growing sense of complacency about future food supplies in Asia and that such complacency is not warranted. While rice productivity may increase, this will be limited by a number of factors: withdrawal of land and labor from agriculture to other uses, increased competition for resources, and land degradation. It is unlikely to match the increase in demand for rice because of population growth. The book provides a thorough assessment of the opportunities for increasing land productivity, including crop diversification. It evaluates the successes and limitations of the Green Revolution for rice in Asia and projects economic and technological trends forward over the next three decades.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction: The State of Rice in Post-Green-Revolution Asia	p. 1
Rice Productivity Growth: The Case against Complacency	p. 12
Sustaining Farm Profits through Technical Change	p. 40
Intensification-induced Degradation of the Paddy Resource Base	p. 62
Erosion, Pollution and Poison: Externalities and Rice	p. 91
Asian Rice Market: Demand and Supply Prospects	p. 126
GATT and Rice: Impact on the Rice Market and Implications for Research Priorities	p. 145
Agricultural Commercialization and Farmer Product Choices: The Case of Diversification Out of Rice	p. 160
Strategic Look at Factor Markets and the Organization of Agricultural Production beyond 2025	p. 183
Post-Green-Revolution Seed Technology for Intensive Rice Systems	p. 208
Fertilizers and Pesticides: Higher Levels versus Improved Efficiencies	p. 234
Dealing with Labor Scarcity: Mechanical Technologies	p. 272
References	p. 298
Index	p. 327
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