Based on this analysis, we propose a new paradigm for enhancing agricultural productivity per unit area through the introduction of more adaptable crops with a holistic management approach. We outline an integrated genetic natural resource management (IGNRM) strategy based on hands-on experiences in India for harnessing the untapped potential of rain-fed paddy fallow areas to increase food production, and improve the livelihoods of people with finite and scarce resources by enhancing resource-use efficiency. Approximately 46.9 million ha or 45 percent of Southeast Asia's cropland is planted to paddy in irrigated (18 million ha), rain-fed (18 million ha), and other cropping systems (see Table 4.1). South Asia accounts for 40 percent of the world's harvested paddy area (USDA, 2010), which supplies almost 25 percent of the world's population (FAO, 2015).