Hybrid rice has been touted as a means to increase rice yield, bring food security, and increase the livelihood of farmers; however, there is much evidence that this has not been the case.

NISTPASS writes, “The hype around hybrid rice is to be expected: there is a lot of money to be made from it. But this is not from the harvests of Chinese farmers in the Yuanyang terraces, or Vietnamese farmers around the Red River Delta, or Filipino farmers in Central Luzon. Rarely has that happened

The transformation of the rice industry into a modern, mechanical, chemical, and large-scale production system has introduced a variety of challenges for farmers, including the destruction of local food systems and increased vulnerability of monocultures.

NISTPASS highlights a number of these

1. Necessary involvement of farm machinery
2. Chemical input agriculture and reliance on fertilizer
3. Sharecropping of farmers, who must renew their seed licenses each year
4. Increased vulnerabilities to pests due to monoculture production

In the face of hollow promises and the vulnerabilities of hybrid rice production, many farmers are rejecting hybrid rice.

NISTPASS provides some examples:

"The Philippines is one of the earliest adopters of hybrid rice technology, having been IRRI’s host country for the last 50 years, but as early as 2000, the majority of farmers were unwilling to plant hybrid rice, despite the subsidies, because they find it more difficult to cultivate and inferior in terms of grain price, profitability, consumer demand, and head rice recovery.

Large private companies are increasingly playing a dominant role in hybrid rice production, often with the blessing and support of national governments.

NISTPASS writes,

Through various hybrid seed programs domestically and abroad, China seems to be moving to cultivate and control regional food production systems.

NISTPASS writes,

The systematic displacement of indigenous people in Bangladesh due to lack of legal recognition of their land rights will lead to further strife in the coming decade:

"Indigenous tribal groups in Bangladesh are slowly being displaced from their traditional land, which will not only lead to rise in poverty among the ethnic tribal groups but could result in the rise of ethnic conflicts in the coming years.

Deteriorating land quality caused by overuse of chemical fertilizers and climate disruptions are leading to crisis in Madhya Pradesh and contributing to the epidemic of farmer suicides in the region. Going back to organic farming is an option being pushed by policy makers:

"Deteriorating land quality is pushing small and marginal farmers in Madhya Pradesh (MP) into a deeper cycle of debt. At present, land in certain parts of MP requires a large amount of input in order to be able to produce the regular yield.

"Factors that have reduced land quality include:

"The South African agricultural sector has been witnessing a drop in employment related to the importation of processed foods. Lindie Stroebel, Economic Intelligence Managed [sic] at the Agricultural Business Chamber said that historically SA was a net exporter of primary agricultural products, but since 2006 it has become a net importer of processed products. The Agricultural Business Chamber, in its agribusiness confidence index, listed a lack of skills and professional workers as one of the main factors inhibiting the sector's competitiveness.

Some wildlife conservationists are now being criticized for not acknowledging the cost-benefit analysis for local communities. When asking a local community to stop all game hunting, you risk undermining their economy and create potential for poaching if you do not provide an alternative source of income. This is exactly what has been happening throughout Africa ever since traditional hunting practices were outlawed.