Introduction—How Swiss Foreign Aid for International Development Benefits Agricultural Development Across Asia

Abstract

AbstractIn most of South and South East Asia and the Pacific, (For geographical descriptions, CGIAR regions are used. https://www.cgiar.org/research/cgiar-regions/) rice is the staple food crop. It is predominantly cultivated by smallholder farmers. Although the Green Revolution has modernized rice agriculture considerably, farmers today face the consequences of decades-long unsustainable natural resource use. Environmental degradation has become prevalent and climate change is exacerbating the current challenges. In this context, the diffusion of agricultural best management practices and technologies is crucial for ensuring rural livelihoods and global food security. The ‘Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint’ (CORIGAP) project (2013–2023) funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) aimed to improve rice farmers’ productivity and profitability in five South East Asian countries and one South Asian country by disseminating sustainable agriculture practices and technologies. The Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (1997–2012), also funded by the SDC, provided a strong platform for the CORIGAP project with national partners already in place in five of the six countries. As of 2022, more than 780,000 farmers were reached through CORIGAP. Mean rice yield and mean income increased by more than 10% for smallholder families. Through CORIGAP, SDC provided a strong platform for farmers to adopt best management practices for producing lowland irrigated rice. These practices, in turn, significantly reduced the use of pesticides, increased the efficiency of nutrient and water use, and decreased postharvest losses.