In October and November 2018, the Paddy Rice Research Group (PRRG) of the Global Research Alliance (GRA) took part in the APEC-funded project: ‘ Capacity Building on Management Technologies for Climate Smart Rice Cultivation in the South-East Asian and Latin American Rice Sector’.
Paddy rice production is a significant source of methane emissions (CH4), and it is therefore essential that countries find ways to reduce emissions from rice cultivation while improving productivity.
The ‘Capacity Building on Management Technologies for Climate Smart Rice Cultivation in the South-East Asian and Latin American Rice Sector’ project was initiated in 2018 by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), Japan, with the aim of enhancing knowledge among researchers and rice producers of climate change mitigation within the rice sector.
The project was funded by the APEC Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group and featured two capability building workshop attended by GRA scientists in partnership with researchers, experts, and rice producers.
The three key aims of the project were:
1) The sharing of knowledge and best practices of new management technologies for adapting to and mitigating climate change in the rice sector;
2) The exchange of views on management technologies and;
3) The development of networks among rice producers, researchers and experts, by organising an international workshop and expert visits.
Two capability building workshops were held; one in Bangkok, Thailand, and one in Parral, Chile. These workshops represented the different production systems found in these two regions and were supported by the Asia and America regional sub-Groups of the Paddy Rice Research Group respectively.
These workshops included expert presentations on a wide range of topics from mitigation through water saving techniques (Alternate Wetting and Drying-AWD) to country-specific experiences, capacity-building training on rice management technologies, and field training.
Following the workshops, farmers expressed an enhanced understanding of the effects of rice cultivation on climate change and the environment, and agreed to share their learning with others in their communities. Farmers and experts agreed on the need for the farming community, governments, and scientists to work together to ensure the right policies are put in place and research projects prioritised to improve climate change mitigation efforts.
Read more:
Read more about the individual presentations, knowledge sharing sessions and field training in APEC’s report: Capacity Building on Management Technologies for Climate Smart Rice Cultivation in the South-East Asian and Latin American Rice Sector.
The GRA kick-started 2015 with representatives from ten countries meeting to learn more about the quantification of greenhouse emissions in grazing systems. The meeting, hosted by Chile, involved twelve days of hands-on workshops, alongside lectures and case studies, in the city of Osorno. Workshops included topics such as static chambers construction and sampling, gas chromatography analysis, canister sampling and work with animals.
The event is a second project that follows the successful four-year partnership project funded by New Zealand and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Regional Fund for Agricultural Technology (FONTAGRO). This partnership project was designed to assist Latin American countries in improving their national greenhouse gas inventories and developing mitigation options adapted to their farming conditions. The 2015 project has expanded to include other countries, and continues to be funded by New Zealand and FONTAGRO.
The 2015 participating countries were Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay and Peru. Host Chile was one of the five countries (Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Uruguay) involved in the first project.