SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) - It's not unusual for people to store their money in banks to protect and increase it, but what about rice? The Internatinoal Rice Research Institute's (IRRI) International Rice Genebank, holds more than 132,000 cultivated species of rice, wild relatives and other types related to the grain. The Genebank is the biggest collection of rice genetic diversity in the world. Countries from all over the world send their rice to IRRI for safe keeping, and for sharing for the common public good. Internatinoal Rice Research Institute's International Rice Genebank in the Philippines (FACEBOOK: IRRI) According to the IRRI, traditional varieties and the wild species of rice are being lost through genetic erosion. Some farmers adopt new varieties, and cease growing the varieties that they have nurtured for generations and eventually lose these varieties. Wild species are threatened with extinction as their habitats are destroyed by human disturbance. Future crop improvement needs the genetic variation from traditional varieties and related wild species to cope with the many stresses that challenge rice production around the world, according to the IRRI. IRRI works to ensure the long-term preservation of rice biodiversity as part of the global strategy for the conservation of rice genetic resources. This is in partnership with national programs and regional and international organizations worldwide, including the CGIAR Research Program for Managing and Sustaining Crop Collections. According to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), rice is a staple food for more than half of the world's population and with the projected increase in the global population, rice will remain a staple. The NLM says as the world faces environmental challenges, changing demographics and consumer demands - farmers, healthcare providers, food manufacturers and nutritionists must work collaboratively to assure adequate supply, nutritional integrity and sustainability of rice production systems globally. Pandas leave Georgia and head to China via FedEx