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Image
Drone view of rice terrace field in Vietnam.

Top view from drone of green rice terrace field at mu cang chai, Vietnam.

Credit: ImpossiAble / Getty Images

System of Rice Intensification

Call to action:

Transition to regenerative rice cultivation practices to lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduce chemical inputs, conserve water, and increase yields.

Rice is a staple crop for half the earth's population(link is external) and is grown on more than a tenth of all arable land. More poor people depend on rice for food and income than any other crop(link is external). It is the foundation of culturally important(link is external) dishes globally, from Japan to India to Brazil. However, conventional rice cultivation has major environmental impacts(link is external). Rice is grown by flooding paddies, which is wasteful of water and requires fossil fuel–based fertilizers and other chemicals to maintain yields, causing pollution. Microbes in flooded paddies generate methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Rice production accounts for 12 percent(link is external) of all methane emissions globally and 2.5 percent of all greenhouse gases. System of Rice Intensification(link is external) (SRI) is an agroecological(link is external) alternative. It improves productivity by changing the management of plants, soil, and water, resulting in higher yields(link is external) and fewer inputs. SRI can be implemented by any farmer. It lowers methane emissions, creates better resilience to weather extremes, and improves livelihoods. Financial investment and training for farmers are necessary to accelerate the adoption of SRI globally.

Nexus Rating SystemBeta

Solutions to the climate emergency have unique social and environmental effects, positive and negative. To develop a broader understanding of the solutions in Nexus, we rate each solution on five criteria.

Sources for each Nexus are graded numerically (-3 through 10), and the average is displayed as a letter grade. You can explore each source in depth by clicking “view sources” below. For more information, see our Nexus Ratings page.

System of Rice Intensification
8.75
0.00
0.00
7.90
7.00

System of Rice Intensification

Culture
N/R
Women
N/R
Biodiversity
B+
Carbon
B+
Reference Social Justice Culture Women Biodiversity Carbon
More rice for people more water for the planet(link is external) 9.0 7.0
Five ways System of Rice Intensification (SRI) practices and ideas can help feed the world(link is external) 9.0 8.0
Summary of SRI in Madagascar(link is external) 9.0 8.0
The Story Behind the Science of SRI-Rice(link is external) 9.0
SRI-2030(link is external) 9.0 8.0
New Rice Farming Method Adapts to Water Scarcity(link is external) 8.0
System of Rice Intensification: A Solution to Methane Emissions and Food Insecurity(link is external) 9.0 9.0
How Millions of Farmers Are Advancing Agriculture for Themselves(link is external) 9.0 8.0
Enhancing Agricultural Livelihoods through Community Institutions in(link is external) 9.0 7.0
Scaling up model of input cost reduction: SRI provides benefits and mitigates damage(link is external) 8.0
Miracle grow: Indian rice farmer uses controversial method for record crop(link is external) 8.0
The System of Rice Intensifications Role in Hunger Climate Change and Communities(link is external) 9.0 8.0
Sustainable intensification for a larger global rice bowl(link is external) 7.0
Utilizing the Genetic Potentials of Traditional Rice Varieties and Conserving Rice Biodiversity with System of Rice Intensification Management(link is external) 9.0
System of Rice Intensification - Project Drawdown(link is external) 7.0
Carbon sequestration and greenhouse gas emissions for different rice cultivation practices(link is external) 7.0
8.8 0.0 0.0 7.9 7.0

Action Items

Individuals

Learn about the challenges associated with conventional rice production and why SRI is a solution. The practice of flooding rice paddies is thousands of years old(link is external) and is a way to control weeds. In addition to being a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, conventional rice farming uses 10 percent of all synthetic nitrogen fertilizers(link is external) globally, contributing to pollution. SRI(link is external) is based on agroecological principles (see Agroecology Nexus). Although rice is a semiaquatic plant(link is external), it does not need continuous flooding. Instead, SRI (1) enriches soil with organic matter, such as manure or compost, rather than synthetic fertilizers; (2) spaces rice seedlings further apart, which strengthens roots; (3) applies water intermittently rather than continuously flooding; (4) uses manual weeders; and (5) applies natural pest management rather than toxic chemicals. Since its development in Madagascar(link is external) in the 1980s, SRI techniques(link is external) have been adopted in sixty countries(link is external). The benefits of SRI include:

Support growers by purchasing rice with a certification. Consumers have the power to let farmers know that their regeneratively grown rice is in high demand in the market. This can incentivize more farmers to make the transition to growing SRI rice.

Groups

Farmers

Learn the principles and techniques of the System of Rice Intensification. SRI methodologies(link is external) are based on the understanding that rice does not need a flooded field to grow. SRI requires no additional investment in inputs(link is external) and machinery, and site-specific and farmer-specific adaptations make SRI adoption affordable to small-scale rice farmers. The four foundations of SRI rice(link is external) are:

Learn about the benefits of growing SRI rice. Practiced by millions of farmers around the world, SRI yields 50–100 percent more rice(link is external) than conventional methods. The increased yield reduces the need for land clearing for new rice cultivation in order to maintain profitability. Seed use drops by 80–90 percent and water inputs by 25–50 percent(link is external). Labor requirements are lower once techniques have been integrated. Other benefits include:

Implement SRI rice production. There are a number of guides and manuals on how to implement SRI where you live. Here is an overview of general principles(link is external). Here is an overall report on SRI from Oxfam(link is external). Instruction manuals(link is external) in different languages are available from the SRI International Network and Resource Center(link is external) at Cornell University (see Learn/Books below for more info). You can also contact NGOs in your region for support (see Key Players). Other resources:

NGOs

Collaborate with farmers and offer training in SRI. NGOs have been a major force in helping farmers access resources and transition to SRI farming methods.  Learn from the NGOs listed in the Key Players section who are leading projects like these:

Companies

Develop appropriate technology. In the transition from conventional paddy farming to SRI, farmers need different equipment for planting, weeding, and harvesting.

Governance

Support local farmers through investments, education, and training. Over fifty countries signed the Global Methane Pledge(link is external) at COP26 in Glasgow, pledging to reduce global methane emissions by 30 percent by 2030. Supporting and incentivizing farmers to acquire the knowledge and equipment to grow rice more sustainably is a vital step in lowering methane emissions.

Learn

Listen

The Craft of Sustainable Rice Farming(link is external) by the Craftsmanship Initiative (22 mins.)

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