Asia Pacific Rice Journalist Award 2008/09

Organised by
Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP), www.panap.net
The International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ)

Press Release - 2010 April 1

WINNER OF THE ASIA PACIFIC RICE JOURNALIST AWARD 2008/09

We are pleased to announce the winner of the ASIA PACIFIC RICE JOURNALIST AWARD 2009: Ms Anitha Reddy! Her winning entry, “Paddy that Survives the Flood,” was originally published in the Deccan Herald on 4 August, 2009, and is now posted on the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP) website: http://www.panap.net/en/r/page/rice-awards-aprja-2008-09/398.

The award ceremony will take place on 4 April 2010 at Gandhi Bhavan, Bangalore , in conjunction with the ‘Rice Utsav’ celebration of traditional rice varieties and the culmination of the people’s Year of Rice Action (YORA).

This was the second round of the Asia Pacific Rice Journalist Awards launched by PAN AP and the International Federation of Environmental Journalists (IFEJ). The competition produced 11 entries, each of which were unique and carefully judged by a panel of judges from India , Singapore , Korea and the Philippines . After careful consideration, Ms Reddy’s entry emerged with the highest overall score. We thank all applicants and the judges for their support and participation.

About the Asia Pacific Rice Journalist Award

Rice is Asia ’s most deeply revered treasure. It is central to the Asian way of life; its culture, spirituality, traditions and norms. The staple food of three billion people, most of whom live in the Asian continent, Rice is Life to the people of Asia.

This precious rice heritage is, however, under threat from corporate/industrialized agriculture, neo-liberal globalization, private control of the rice seed, and genetic engineering of the rice genome. In addition, rice lands are being torn away from small rice farming communities in the name of “development” projects such as special economic zones, cash cropping, and agrofuel plantations. The food, financial and climate crises are also life-threatening challenges for small rice farmers all over Asia.

Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific has for the last 17 years championed the food sovereignty of the grassroots, namely, farmers, agricultural workers, indigenous people and consumers and launched the SAVE OUR RICE CAMPAIGN in 2003. With the International Federation of Environmental Journalists, we have collectively decided to offer this Award to encourage and recognize serious journalistic efforts on Asia ’s most prized heritage; Rice. The aim of the award is to showcase RICE in a creative manner by focusing on any or all of the "Five Pillars of Rice Wisdom:" Rice Culture, Community Wisdom, Biodiversity-Based Ecological Agriculture, Safe Food and Food Sovereignty.

About YORA

YORA is jointly organized by people's organizations in China , Japan , Korea , Cambodia , Laos , Vietnam , Thailand , Malaysia , Indonesia , Philippines , Sri Lanka , India , Pakistan , Nepal and Bangladesh in collaboration with the Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP). It runs from 4 April 2009 to 4 April 2010.

For more information about YORA, please visit www.panap.net/yora

Contact:
THE SAVE OUR RICE CAMPAIGN
Asia Pacific Rice Journalist Award Secretariat
Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific (PAN AP)
P.O. Box 1170, 10850 Penang , Malaysia
Tel: 604-6570271 or 6560381 Fax: 604-6583960
Email: panap@panap.net
Website: www.panap.net/aprja
 

IFEJ: The IFEJ, a network and international association founded in 1993 on the initiative of French and German environmental journalists, with the participation of journalists from 28 countries, today has members, correspondents and/or member associations in more than 117 countries around the world. Directly and indirectly, this network includes around 7500 journalists associated with every type of medium, scientific authors, filmmakers, etc. For more information please visit: http://www.ifej.org/about/IFEJ_History.htm

PAN AP: Pesticide Action Network (PAN) is a global network working to eliminate the human and environmental harm caused by pesticides and to promote biodiversity based ecological agriculture. PAN Asia and the Pacific is committed to the empowerment of people especially women, agricultural workers, peasant and indigenous farmers. We believe in a people-centered, pro-women development through food sovereignty, ecological agriculture and sustainable lifestyles.

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Rice is Asia’s most deeply revered treasure. It is central to the Asian way of life; its culture, spirituality, traditions and norms. The staple food of three billion people, most of whom live in the Asian continent, Rice is Life to the people of Asia.

This precious rice heritage is, however, under threat from corporate/industrialized agriculture, neo-liberal globalization, private control of the rice seed, and genetic engineering of the rice genome. In addition, rice lands are being torn away from small rice farming communities in the name of “development” projects such as special economic zones, cash cropping, and agrofuel plantations.

Pesticide Action Network Asia and the Pacific has for the last 17 years championed the food sovereignty of the grassroots, namely, farmers, agricultural workers, indigenous people and consumers and launched the SAVE OUR RICE CAMPAIGN in 2003. With the International Federation of Environmental Journalists, we have collectively decided to offer this Award to encourage and recognize serious journalistic efforts on Asia's most prized heritage; Rice.