A study published in Nature Food reveals that Asia, particularly Southeast Asia, is responsible for over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation. These emissions, primarily methane and nitrous oxide, have doubled since the 1960s, reaching an annual equivalent of 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Researchers suggest that emissions can be reduced by 10% without lowering food yields. Key strategies include optimizing water management to limit methane production, improving nitrogen fertilizer efficiency, and changing how crop residues are handled in flooded soils.
