The livelihood of the world’s 150 million rice farmers presents a cruel paradox. Many are among the poorest globally, living in areas most affected by climate change, yet their staple crop—rice—contributes significantly to global methane emissions. Rice feeds 4 billion people daily and is responsible for 10% of human-made methane emissions. Addressing this issue is critical, not only for reducing emissions but also for improving the lives of those who depend on rice farming for their survival.
Cutting Rice’s Carbon Footprint
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), based in the Philippines, is at the forefront of reducing rice’s environmental impact. Since 2011, climate change scientist Ando Radanielson has spearheaded efforts to cut emissions by 30% by 2030. By promoting climate-smart farming methods, her research focuses on reducing input costs, thereby engaging farmers more effectively.
In the trial, emissions are recorded every 30 minutes, according to Ando Radanielson.
(ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)
Targeting the three most potent greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and methane—Radanielson’s team discovered that methane emissions could be reduced by 70% by alternating wetting and drying of paddy soils. Additionally, they are exploring the potential of biochar to capture methane before it reaches the atmosphere, with promising preliminary results.
“A 50% reduction was the average, when you get to 70% that’s way more than what we can expect,”
she said.
Australia supports IRRI’s projects, including a million-dollar greenhouse used for drought trials, highlighting the international collaboration needed to tackle this pressing issue.
Genebank Gold Mine
Queensland-born scientist Damien Platten connects researchers with IRRI’s gene bank, which houses 132,000 of the world’s estimated 400,000 rice varieties. This genetic repository is considered a goldmine for innovation.
In the past five years, IRRI’s gene bank has distributed 159,815 samples to 1,419 plant breeders in 61 countries.
(ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)
Artificial intelligence accelerates the identification of vital genes, with Dr. Venuprasad Ramaiah noting significant improvements in screening crop varieties for flood tolerance using AI. This advancement could be pivotal in developing resilient rice strains faster than ever before.
Venuprasad Ramaiah feels a huge responsibility to succeed so the world will benefit from this work.
(ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)
“It’s expected to be here in perpetuity till mankind exists so it’s a huge responsibility to keep it so that the global community will benefit.”
The common sense of calling among IRRI staff reflects their dedication. Ramaiah feels a responsibility that keeps him up at night, while Dr. Suresh Kadaru states helping farmers is his life’s purpose. They echo a unified mission: to breed rice varieties swiftly to counter the relentless pace of climate change.
Adapting Rice Farming for the Future
Agronomist Virender Kumar highlights the development of rice varieties through the gene bank that thrive using the dry direct seeding method—significantly reducing methane emissions by up to 90%. This milestone represents a crucial climate victory without compromising the livelihood of rice farmers, saving labor and water, scarce and expensive resources.
The results of the study at harvest indicate that uniform seeding leads to higher yields and better-quality rice.
(ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)
Australian scientist Damian Platten notes the urgency at IRRI. With support from global partnerships, including the Crawford Fund and DFAT Australian ASEAN Council, the mission extends beyond mitigating climate change impacts—it’s about providing sustainable solutions for rice farmers. Tune in to ABC Landline at 12:30 pm on Sunday or watch on
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“You save labor, you save water, and these are becoming scarce and expensive. Farmers can save almost $US125 [$198] per hectare, from the very first day when they start planting their crop.”
Virender Kumar says part of the challenge is breeding new varieties quickly to stay ahead of climate change.
(ABC Landline: Cameron Lang)
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