Farmer Learning and International Research Centres: Lessons from IRRI

The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is one of 16 centres in the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR). IRRI has a huge mandate: to conduct research and training to improve the lives of rice producers and consumers, particularly those with low incomes. This broad mandate means that whilst IRRI generates knowledge and products such as improved pest management methods or new varieties and machinery, it is the role of extension workers from other organisations to promote and disseminate these to the farmers. This means that the dissemination of the research outputs is outside IRRI’s control