by
Rebecca Sherratt, Production editor, Milling & Grain
As the world’s population skyrockets and global food demand continues to grow, securing our future food supply will be crucial, especially for staple foods such as rice.
However, a shortfall in supply is expected due to declining productivity growth on rice farms. In the 1960s and 70s, rice productivity growth was exceptionally high. During the 1970s and 1980s, rice yields increased by around 2.4 percent per year (pa), but since then, yield growth has stagnated to just 0.4 percent pa.
Moreover, there is less land available due to land conversion, soil salinity and water scarcity. By 2050, it is expected that global demand for rice will grow significantly; however, due to extreme weather events and adverse climate change impacts, a shortfall in production is projected if the trends continue. To meet global demand, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) projects that production needs to increase by 25 percent over the next 25 years.
The importance of rice in providing food and nutritional security for half of the world’s population is widely recognised. However, rice farming presents huge sustainability challenges, particularly in its use of water and fertilisers, and in the emission of large amounts of greenhouse gases from flooded rice fields.
According to IRRI, rice production uses 34-43 percent of the world’s irrigation water. For every one kilogram of rice produced, approximately 2,500 litres of water is used. In addition, rice accounts for about 13 percent of the global nitrogen fertiliser supply and is responsible for 5-10 percent of global methane emissions.
The picture is further complicated when we consider that rice not only contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but is also highly a victim of climate change. Rice farmers are among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change impacts such as drought, flooding, temperature rise, extreme weather events and rising sea levels.
So how can the global rice sector address the challenge of boosting production on existing rice lands to meet demand, while at the same time protecting the environment, mitigating climate change impacts and safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods?
Read more HERE.
As the world’s population skyrockets and global food demand continues to grow, securing our future food supply will be crucial, especially for staple foods such as rice.
However, a shortfall in supply is expected due to declining productivity growth on rice farms. In the 1960s and 70s, rice productivity growth was exceptionally high. During the 1970s and 1980s, rice yields increased by around 2.4 percent per year (pa), but since then, yield growth has stagnated to just 0.4 percent pa.
Moreover, there is less land available due to land conversion, soil salinity and water scarcity. By 2050, it is expected that global demand for rice will grow significantly; however, due to extreme weather events and adverse climate change impacts, a shortfall in production is projected if the trends continue. To meet global demand, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) projects that production needs to increase by 25 percent over the next 25 years.
The importance of rice in providing food and nutritional security for half of the world’s population is widely recognised. However, rice farming presents huge sustainability challenges, particularly in its use of water and fertilisers, and in the emission of large amounts of greenhouse gases from flooded rice fields.
According to IRRI, rice production uses 34-43 percent of the world’s irrigation water. For every one kilogram of rice produced, approximately 2,500 litres of water is used. In addition, rice accounts for about 13 percent of the global nitrogen fertiliser supply and is responsible for 5-10 percent of global methane emissions.
The picture is further complicated when we consider that rice not only contributes to climate change through greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions but is also highly a victim of climate change. Rice farmers are among the world’s most vulnerable to climate change impacts such as drought, flooding, temperature rise, extreme weather events and rising sea levels.
So how can the global rice sector address the challenge of boosting production on existing rice lands to meet demand, while at the same time protecting the environment, mitigating climate change impacts and safeguarding farmers’ livelihoods?
Read more HERE.
The Global Miller
This blog is maintained by The Global Miller staff and is supported by the magazine Milling and Grain
which is published by Perendale Publishers Limited.
For additional daily news from milling around the world: global-milling.com
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