A project to re-engineer photosynthesis in rice, led by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) through a global consortium of scientists, has received a grant of US$11 million over three years from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The group, the Cereal Systems Initiative for South Asia (CSISA), is researching the production of rice plants that can produce 50 per cent more grain using less fertilizer and less water. CSISA’s goal is to produce an additional 5 million tonnes of grain per year and increase the income of over 6 million farmers.