Rice Production Is A Victim Of Climate Change But Also A Contributor.
​
We're Changing That.
How We Consume & Produce Our Daily Staple Is Problematic:
1.
Information on the environmental impact of rice production is disparate and confusing.
Conventional rice production has dangerous environmental impact.
2.
Rice production is responsible for 10% of global methane emissions. That's almost double the emissions from the coal plant industry. This is an issue because methane is 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
2.
There's a glaring lack of standardization and even when available, consumers are often unable to understand what’s out there. Without transparency and clarity, it's challenging for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
1.
Conventional rice production has
significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions.
Methane Emissions from Total Grain Production
Rice Production: 48%
Other Grains:
52%
Rice production is responsible for 10% of global methane emissions. That's almost double the emissions from the coal plant industry. This is an issue because methane is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas.
2.
Information on the environmental impact of rice production is disparate and confusing.
Is the data accurate?
Which greenhouse gases to measure?
What along the supply chain do we measure?
There's a lack of standardization and even when available, consumers are often unable to understand what’s out there. Without transparency and clarity, it's challenging for consumers to make informed purchasing decisions.
Let's Analyse Climate Impact
of Rice Production.
*Carbon Footprint (kg CO2e/kg rice)
1
2
3
4
5
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Country 6
Country 4
Country 3
Country 1
Country 2
Country 5
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**Our Production:
1.8 kg CO2e/kg rice
So we've got the numbers. But why such a big difference if everyone's growing the same thing?
Because method matters.
Data
Sources!
*Source: Clune S, Crossin E, Verghese K, Systematic review of greenhouse gas
emissions for different fresh food categories, Journal of Cleaner Production (2016), doi: 10.1016/
j.jclepro.2016.04.082.
**Calculated by International Rice Research Institute based on a local farmer survey in Myanmar using a methodology covering the entire rice value chain.
Here's a closer look at our impact in Myanmar:
Our quantification shows we can and are making a difference. Now, what's next?
We're choosing to commit to a level of traceability in demonstrating that change is possible.
In doing so, we are also embarking on holistic sustainable practices at the farm-level. We are an active member of the Sustainable Rice Platform – a global alliance working to promote eco-friendly rice farming, empower small farmers and reduce the environmental footprint of rice. Learn more at www.sustainablerice.org
*Sustainable Rice Cultivation Covers:
Farm Management
Nutrient Management
Pre-Planting
