Germany-based Bayer, Singapore’s GenZero, Shell Energy India, and other experts have announced that they are teaming up to create a model showcasing scalable methane emissions reduction in rice farming.
Paddy rice cultivation is responsible for around 10 per cent of global methane emissions, a highly potent greenhouse gas with a global warming potential over 27 times that of carbon dioxide.
Despite occupying 15 per cent of the total farm area (over 150 million hectares), it consumes a third of the world’s fresh water. Addressing this issue is crucial to combat climate change and limit temperature rise, requiring significant efforts to reduce methane emissions from rice cultivation.
The collaborative effort will provide training, support, and guidance for smallholder farmers, employ Measurement, Reporting & Verification (MRV) with remote sensing tech, and aim to set a benchmark for rice decarbonisation globally.
Aim of the collaboration
The collaboration will expand the Programme to cover 25,000 hectares of rice cultivation in its first year, during the Kharif 2023 and Rabi 2023-24 seasons.
Success in this phase will lead to a larger-scale sustainable rice project, offering benefits such as greenhouse gas reduction, water savings, soil health improvement, and better livelihoods for smallholder rice farmers.
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), a renowned scientific institution, will ensure scientific accuracy and credibility by assisting in evaluating greenhouse gas reductions, water use reductions, and soil health improvements.
Frederick Teo, CEO of GenZero says, “Rice is one of the leading sources of methane emissions, with India being the second largest producer of rice globally. Decarbonising rice cultivation is therefore essential for fighting climate change and addressing food security challenges.”
“With this programme, we aim to transform the future of rice cultivation by driving the adoption of alternative wetting and drying as well as direct seeding techniques across smallholder farmers in India.”
“The aim is to reduce the amount of water required for farming across many water-stressed agricultural regions in India and reduce methane emissions arising from rice cultivation, supporting the transition of the agricultural industry towards a low-carbon future,” adds Teo.
Bayer’s commitment to rice cultivation
Germany-based Bayer has undertaken a two-year pilot Sustainable Rice Project in India, aiming to reduce carbon emissions by encouraging rice farmers to adopt sustainable practices like Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and Direct Seeded Rice (DSR) instead of continuous flooding during transplanting.
Simon-Thorsten Wiebusch, Country Divisional Head, Crop Science Division of Bayer for India, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka says, “Bayer’s commitment to rice cultivation is two-fold. Through our focus on rice, we want to solve two of the biggest challenges impacting humanity, namely, food security and climate change.”
“With this programme, we aim to get more insights into how regenerative agricultural practices can contribute to mitigating climate change by way of methane emission reductions, water conservation, soil health improvements and drive the sustainable development of smallholder farmers.”
“Having the expertise and support of organisations like GenZero, Shell, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and others will go a long way in developing the ecosystem for faster adoption of such sustainable practices,” adds Wiebusch.
Dr Ajay Kohli, Deputy Director General for Research, IRRI says, “Public-private partnerships are an effective way to transform food systems, leveraging the strengths and resources of both sectors to achieve common goals. Such partnerships in agricultural science can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of research and development.”
“By combining the strengths and resources of both sectors and also sharing knowledge and capacity-building, thus enhancing the overall productivity and sustainability of the agricultural sector,” adds Kohli.
The combined efforts of Bayer, GenZero, Shell, IRRI, and other collaborators represent an advancement in tackling the environmental effects of rice cultivation and promoting a more sustainable future.
Brief about Bayer
Bayer is a global life sciences company focused on healthcare and nutrition. The company’s products aim to address challenges posed by global population growth and aging. They are committed to sustainable development, innovation, and growth while maintaining trust and quality.
In 2022, Bayer had sales of €50.7B, employed about 101,000 people, and invested €6.2B in research and development.