Rice blast in the Indo-Pacific Region impacting food security highlights the need for better biosecurity

Kay Howard; Barbara Kachigunda; Rochelle Spencer; Chad L Hewitt; Kirsty L Bayliss

doi:10.3897/neobiota.100.146043

Back

Rice blast in the Indo-Pacific Region impacting food security highlights the need for better biosecurity

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Rice blast in the Indo-Pacific Region impacting food security highlights the need for better biosecurity

Kay Howard, Barbara Kachigunda, Rochelle Spencer, Chad L Hewitt and Kirsty L Bayliss

NeoBiota, Vol.100, pp.371-400

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/neobiota.100.146043

Files and links (1)

pdf

Published2.27 MBDownload View

CC BY V4.0, Open Access

Abstract

Analysis

Australia

Biosecurity

Cambodia

Crop yields

Epidemics

Explosions

Food supply

India

Indonesia

Italy

Malaysia

Myanmar

Pacific Islands

Pacific Rim

Philippines

Rice

Safety and security measures

South Asia

Thailand

Vietnam

Plant pests significantly reduce crop yield, which impacts access, availability and food utilisation. Rice is a staple crop for almost half of the world's population. Asia (including the Indo-Pacific Region, IPR) contributes 90% and consumes 86% of global rice production, but is among the most food-insecure regions in the world, with an increase of 16 million (to 113 million) moderately/severely food-insecure people in the region in the last 5 years. Outbreaks of the rice blast pathogen Pyricularia oryzae in the IPR could significantly affect global food security. Modelling indicates that an extreme case of 80% loss of rice crops across the IPR could increase global rice prices by 50-95%, increasing food insecurity for net exporter countries while creating price shocks in importing countries. This study used the four pillars of food security as a framework to evaluate the impact of rice blast on food availability, access, utilisation, and stability. The objective was to determine if biosecurity measures might be easily implemented to reduce the risk of the disease and increase food security in the region. Biosecurity was claimed as essential for managing rice blast across the pre-border/border/post-border continuum to reduce the risk to food security. Australia and New Zealand may be able to assist with the implementation of biosecurity measures as they are the most significant leaders in this field in the IPR. Regional agencies such as the Asia and Pacific Plant Protection Commission might assist the IPR in identifying threats through intelligence gathering and pathway modelling for pre-border activities. To be effective, the biosecurity system needs all stakeholders to work together.

Details

Title: Rice blast in the Indo-Pacific Region impacting food security highlights the need for better biosecurity
Authors/Creators: Kay Howard - Murdoch University
Barbara Kachigunda - Murdoch University
Rochelle Spencer - Murdoch University
Chad L Hewitt - Lincoln University
Kirsty L Bayliss - Murdoch University
Publication Details: NeoBiota, Vol.100, pp.371-400
Publisher: Pensoft Publishers
Number of pages: 30
Identifiers: 991005808931107891
Murdoch Affiliation: Centre for Biosecurity and One Health; Centre for Crop and Food Innovation; School of Agricultural Sciences; School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences; Indo-Pacific Research Centre
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article

UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This output has contributed to the advancement of the following goals:

#12 Responsible Consumption & Production

Metrics

11 File views/ downloads

20 Record Views

See more details

InCites Highlights

These are selected metrics from InCites Benchmarking & Analytics tool, related to this output

Collaboration types: Domestic collaboration; International collaboration
Citation topics: 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology; 3.4 Crop Science; 3.4.419 Jasmonic Acid
Web Of Science research areas: Biodiversity Conservation; Ecology
ESI research areas: Environment/Ecology