Abstract

During the past several decades, the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) has been validated in 65+ countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas, with support from NGOs, government agencies, and the private sector. This presentation includes SRI updates from various regions and countries, insights into SRI networks, and a discussion of future trends and directions. While national networks have been established in ten Asian countries, regional networks are emerging in Africa and Latin America. Globally, a research network, equipment forum, resource center (SRI-Rice), and policy group (SRI-2030) are also active. Strengthening linkages within the global SRI community and between SRI networks can help with creating solidarity, collaborative problem-solving, sharing/providing information, and creating a more enabling policy environment. Climate change threats related to water shortages and GHGs, together with mounting food insecurity, have led some countries to consider SRI as a low-cost way of tackling these issues simultaneously. In 2021, nine countries included SRI in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) to reduce methane emissions, showing increased government attention to SRI. Of 1,500+ journal articles about SRI from 60 countries, 43% are from India, 15% from Indonesia, and 9% from Africa. A third includes comparisons between SRI and other production methods, with the majority favorable to SRI regarding yield, water use, economics, and GHGs. Scaling up SRI globally can be assisted by increasing/improving extension, water management infrastructure/policies, SRI-adapted equipment access, marketing support, prioritized research, information access, and investigating/applying digital technologies and new financial incentives such as carbon credits, rice bonds, and other decarbonization strategies.