Network for Accelerated Rice Varieties and Impact (NARVI)

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), a non-profit autonomous international organization and a member of Consortium of International Agricultural Centers (CGIAR) has a mission of reducing the poverty and hunger, improving the health of rice farmers and consumers, and ensuring environmental sustainability of rice farming through collaborative research, partnerships, and the National Agricultural Research and Extension Systems (NARES). To achieve this mission, it works closely with NARES and other relevant partners to disseminate improved rice germplasm to farmers globally through various networks and programs such as International Network for Genetic Evaluation of Rice (INGER) established at IRRI in 1975 leading to dissemination of over 1100 new rice varieties including IR 64, IR 36 and numerous parental lines for inbreds as well as hybrids across rice producing countries of the world. These varieties have created high value to these countries through increased production, farmer competitiveness and improved livelihoods.

The Network for Accelerated Rice Varieties and Impact (NARVI) is a new initiative that builds on the successful model of networks such as INGER. NARVI is a membership- based network for private sector partners. NARVI will provide access to private partners to a pipeline of new elite rice advanced lines (Plant Genetic Resource for Agriculture - Under Development, (PGRFA-UD, FAO, http://www.fao.org/plant-treaty/en/) developed and owned by IRRI in a non-exclusive manner, for evaluation by the private partners in the field, conduct research, and select lines to release as commercial varieties. This initiative will open additional channels for participation of private partners and accelerate the positive impact of IRRI’s elite rice lines by reaching the smallholder farmers faster improved choices to farmers suitable to their requirements.

This NARVI program does not in any way restrict the current flow of germplasm and information exchange through the existing channels including NARES partners. Public-funded institutions will continue to receive PGRFA lines through various ongoing programs and consortia of IRRI, without any payment requirement, although the cost of all evaluations is to be borne by these organizations and IRRI.

Objectives

1. Accelerate positive impact on smallholder farmers with IRRI’s elite germplasm by engaging with private sector partners through Private Public Participation (PPP) in a non-exclusive manner.
   
   
2. Support private sector partners by providing advanced IRRI developed rice germplasm for evaluation within the country of agreement and select best performing lines and disseminate new elite rice varieties for the benefit of rice farmers and consumers.
   
   
3. Provide necessary freedom to private sector partners who are NARVI members to utilize IRRI advanced lines for further breeding and development of new “Derived Materials”. This will increase the diversity of the rice breeding lines and further increase the choices to farmers.
   
   
4. Provide support to the private sector similar to the public sector by providing standardized data collection, collation and best practices in analysis to enable advancement of the best lines for varietal dissemination based on the data collected by the private sector partners. This page is under development.