A study published in Nature Food reveals that rice paddies in Asia produced over 90% of global greenhouse gas emissions from rice cultivation between 2001 and 2020. Total emissions have doubled since the 1960s, reaching an annual equivalent of 1.1 billion tons of carbon dioxide. Researchers from Boston College identify land expansion and crop residue management as the primary drivers of this increase. The study suggests that practical changes in farming techniques can reduce methane and nitrous oxide emissions without compromising global food security.
