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Agro Universities, Environment, Sustainability

The project Accelerating Methane Reductions in Rice Production in Southeast Asia (AcceLER) was launched during a three-day consultation workshop held in Makati City, Philippines.

Southeast Asia comprises around a third of the total rice harvest worldwide. It is also home to two of the top rice-exporting countries in the world, Thailand and Viet Nam. However, traditional rice farming methods significantly contribute to methane emissions in agriculture, making it crucial to adopt more sustainable practices in the region.

In response, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), through funding from the Global Methane Hub (GMH), has launched a new project aimed at increased adoption of low-emission rice practices, and monitoring of greenhouse gas emission reduction progress toward 2030 goals.

The project Accelerating Methane Reductions in Rice Production in Southeast Asia (AcceLER) was launched during a three-day consultation workshop held in Makati City, Philippines, from March 11 to 13, 2025.

“While the rice industry must continue to meet the needs of the growing populations, it is important to recognize that the actions we take today will shape the future of our farmers, food security, and the health of our planet. This calls for exploring and adopting climate-smart agricultural practices that are not only effective but also accessible, scalable, and beneficial to those who need them most,” said Philippine Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Rice Industry Development Christopher Morales to open the event.

The project seeks to develop national roadmaps that achieve an aspirational 15 percent reduction in methane emissions in the rice sector by 2030, and to mainstream Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems, including remote sensing-enabled approaches. The project also intends to enable capacity sharing with national agencies on methane mitigation actions, MRV, and nationally determined contributions (NDC) planning.

“Countries formulate greenhouse gas mitigation targets to 2030, including for the rice sector. However, the data that the countries have to design these targets is very limited. We tried to provide some information, and evidence-based analyses that give the countries a better data foundation to formulate their targets,” said Dr. Bjoern Ole Sander, IRRI Country Representative to Thailand, and the focal person for climate change research.

One of the ways to ensure the attainment of these NDCs is through the adoption of MRV systems. “This project has an important objective of contributing to that process, helping our partners to have robust, reliable, credible MRV to measure these activities and progress in terms of reducing GHG emissions,” said Dr. Alisher Mirzabaev, IRRI Senior Scientist I for Policy Analysis and Climate Change. Drs. Sander and Mirzabaev are among the main proponents of the AcceLER Project.

“Food security is of prime importance, and rice is a global staple. So, in this project, we don’t need to reduce production levels but increase production levels while reducing the methane associated with it,” said Dr. Kofi Konadu Boateng, Program Officer at the Global Methane Hub.

The workshop also provided a platform to assess regulations and practices that influence GHG emissions in rice, develop and improve rice emission MRV systems, and identify rice sector financing and carbon market opportunities that support climate change mitigation.

The project Accelerating Methane Reductions in Rice

Foodgrains, India, Industry Reports / Analysis, R&D, White paper

ISB Prof. Co-author Study reveals optimised allocation of the area under rice, switching to alternative cereals, could reduce climate-induced production losses by 11 per cent.

 A new study reveals that shifting from rice cultivation to alternative cereals like millet, maize, and sorghum could significantly reduce climate-induced production losses and simultaneously increase farmer incomes in India.

The open access study, published in the journal Nature Communications highlights that farmers’ decisions regarding which crops to plant are heavily influenced by price fluctuations. The study suggests that economic incentives can play a crucial role in encouraging a shift from rice towards more climate-resilient crops.

The joint study has been authored by Dongyang Wei, Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delaware, USA; Leslie Guadalupe Castro, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, USA; Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, India; Marta Tuninetti, Department of Environment, Land and Infrastructure Engineering, Politecnico di Torino, Italy; and Kyle Frankel Davis, Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, USA.

Advocating the switch from rice to alternative cereals, the study pinpoints that Indian farmers have always preferred rice for its economic viability. However, rice production is disproportionately affected by climate change. On the other hand, cereals such as millets, maize, and sorghum are climate-resistant and stand to be economically viable too, in the long run.

The study emphasises the optimised allocation of the area under rice, favouring alternative cereals, could reduce climate-induced production losses by 11 per cent. Further, the study points out that shifting to alternative cereals can increase farmers’ net profits.

Touching upon the price sensitivity aspect, the study reveals that farmers’ planting decisions for alternative cereals are highly sensitive to price changes, thus, offering a lever for policy intervention.

The lead author, Dongyang Wei, Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, University of Delaware, USA, states, “Our research demonstrates that by strategically reducing rice cultivation and increasing the cultivation of alternative cereals, India can achieve greater stability in cereal production and improve farmer profitability. This can be achieved without compromising the overall calorie production”.

Ashwini Chhatre, Associate Professor and Executive Director, Bharti Institute of Public Policy, Indian School of Business, says, “This research highlights the need for policymakers to consider the economic factors influencing farmers’ decisions and to implement policies that promote the cultivation of climate-resilient crops”.

The study also emphasises the importance of addressing current pricing structures, which often favour rice cultivation due to government support policies. The researchers suggest that well-crafted crop pricing schemes and incentives for climate-resilient crops could be effective tools for promoting a more sustainable agricultural system.

The findings of the study offer valuable insights for policymakers given India’s heavy reliance on rice as well as the need to enhance the resilience of India’s food system in the face of increasing climate variability.

ISB Prof. Co-author Study reveals optimised allocation

Agrotech, Company News, Environment, Sustainability, Water, World

For shaping a water-resilient agriculture system with key contribution in rice.

 Bayer is launching its new water strategy at the UN 2023 Water Conference in New York. The company is making water an integral part of its business decisions, investments and selection of suppliers. Bayer’s water strategy reflects its position as a key player in the fields of health and agriculture and aims to have an impact that goes beyond the company’s own business.

“The world is facing a severe water crisis affecting ecosystems, food security and human health,” explains Bayer CEO Werner Baumann. “As a leader in health and nutrition we have an intrinsic motivation to address the water crisis and make a valuable contribution. With our global footprint and strong supplier engagements, Bayer will create value and encourage sector-wide action. Our ambition is to play a leading role in promoting corporate water stewardship and rallying other businesses to take action to protect the world’s water resources.”

Bayer’s commitments go beyond the company’s own operations and are reflecting its ambition to generate impact. The activities will encompass the entire value chain, from Bayer’s own operations to the farmers Bayer serves. Key elements of the water strategy are:

Resilient agriculture: On average, 70 per cent of global freshwater withdrawals are in agriculture. Bayer commits to driving positive change in water productivity in water scarce regional cropping systems, starting with rice, which is responsible for up to 43 per cent of the world’s irrigation water withdrawals. The company is committed to improving water use per kilogram of crop by 25 per cent by 2030, by transforming rice-cropping systems for smallholder customers in the relevant regions where Bayer operates. In addition, Bayer’s existing commitment of reducing the environmental impact of its crop protection portfolio by 30 per cent by 2030 also contributes to water quality.

Business and investment: Bayer is developing a concept to integrate water quality and quantity into business decisions and processes that will be rolled out from 2024 onwards. The company will develop a methodology to place a value on water and incorporate it into investment processes. Already in 2021, water and wastewater matters represented approx. 10 per cent of Bayer’s total CapEx projects.

Suppliers and growers: Bayer evaluates the sustainability performance of all key suppliers and of selected high-sustainability-risk suppliers using a sustainability risk classification that includes water. As an important step forward, Bayer has launched its new Supplier Code of Conduct, with dedicated items to address water and wastewater. At the same time the company will continue to drive improvements in water-use efficiency with growers across seed production.

“Until now, the topic of water has been overlooked in the climate debate despite the many interlinkages, but with the UN 2023 Water Conference it is gaining momentum. There are new opportunities to take the right sustainable actions, and we must seize these opportunities now. This is why we make water an integral part of our business and investment decisions across the entire value chain. With these decisions, we will contribute to climate resilience and to more sustainable water usage,” says Cristina Alonso Alija, Head of Sustainability, Safety, Health & Environment, and responsible for the water strategy at Bayer.

For shaping a water-resilient agriculture system with