The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Los Baños, Philippines -- An initiative announced today aims to help six million South Asian farmers substantially boost crop yields and their income within 10 years.

The Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA) comes at a crucial time for key nations in the region—home to 40 percent of the world’s poor with nearly half a billion people subsisting on less than US$1 a day—as they struggle to boost grain supplies in the wake of growing demand and strained natural resources. The project, which builds on past cereal research achievements in the public and private sectors, aims to produce an additional five million tons of grain annually and increase the yearly incomes of six million poor rural households by at least $350.

To read the full press release, visit the IRRI web site.