Linking genetic gains to food security outcomes: An assessment of IRRI’S rice breeding efforts in the Philippines and Indonesia

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) runs the largest public rice breeding program in the world, playing a crucial role in ensuring global food security. Using a large dataset containing 12,045 yield observations of IRRI elite lines, we estimate the annual genetic gain attributable to IRRI since the release of IR8, the variety that launched the Green Revolution, and the market impacts in Indonesia and the Philippines. Results indicate that since the release of IR8, the genetic gains from IRRI lines have increased by 0.58% annually. The estimated average annual supply increase through producer adoption of IRRI lines in Indonesia and the Philippines was sufficient to feed an additional 25.14 million people’s annual rice consumption. An important aspect of this study’s findings is to highlight the significant role that public breeders like IRRI play in combating global food insecurity, even in the face of diminishing funding.