Rice is one of the most important staple foods in the world, providing nourishment for billions of people. However, rice production can negatively impact the environment through excessive water usage, pesticide and fertilizer pollution, and soil degradation. So, how can we produce rice more sustainably?

If you're interested in how we can improve rice farming, check out some of the links below.

First, we can manage our crops better. This means growing different crops in the same field to keep the soil healthy and control pests. We can also use natural predators and other tricks to keep pests away without using harmful chemicals. Thai farmers are pioneering more sustainable ways to farm rice.

Farmers can also manage their water usage. Rice needs a huge amount of water to grow, but we can use less by letting the soil dry out a bit between waterings. This is called alternate wetting and drying (AWD), and it can save up to 30% of the water we'd otherwise use. In Indonesia, some farmers are empowered to be more sustainable while increasing their production

We can also be smarter about how we use fertilizer. Too much fertilizer can pollute the environment, so we can apply it more efficiently based on what the soil and crops need. And if we use organic fertilizers like compost, we can improve the soil's health and reduce pollution.

Finally, we can try something called agroforestry. This means growing trees and other crops alongside the rice. This can help the soil stay healthy, use less water, and give farmers more ways to make money.

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