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The Rice Intensification System (RIS) is helping to bring rural farmers closer to food self-sufficiency in over 50 countries, with the help of organizations such as the West and Central African Council for Agricultural Research and Development(CORAF). It has the potential to reduce water consumption, increase land productivity and provide a buffer against the impacts of climate change, while reducing dependence on artificial inputs such as pesticides and artificial fertilizers.

Mali, where rice is a staple food, imports over 45% of its rice. The West African Agricultural Productivity Program(PPAAO), a CORAF program, has introduced CRS methods to sustainably increase rice production and reduce food insecurity. The CRS creates two possible harvest periods in Mali, reducing the length of the hunger gap. With increased income, farmers buy food supplements and invest in education.

"With this practice, I can feed my family, and the income generated has enabled me to cover my children's health and school fees," explains Adama Dougnon, a rice grower in Mali's Segou region. "Before, I used to use the broadcast sowing method. With 120 kilograms of paddy seeds, I could harvest 3-4 tons per hectare. Then I switched to a regular rice transplanting system, which enabled me to harvest around 5 tonnes with 80 kilograms of seed per hectare. But the introduction of the SIR by PPAAO has considerably increased my yields. At present, my yields are estimated at between 8 and 8.5 tonnes per hectare, with a maximum of 15 kilos of paddy seed.

"We shouldn't have food shortages in the world if we made better use of our land, water, seeds, labor and capital resources," says Norman Uphoff, Professor Emeritus of Government and International Agriculture at Cornell University and Senior Advisor, SRI International Network and Resource Center(SRI-Rice).

According to the International Rice Research Institute(IRRI) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations(FAO), rice is the most important grain for human consumption. Globally, rice provides 20 percent of all calories consumed, with up to 70 percent in some regions. Rice is grown mainly on small farms, and the average overall yield is around four tonnes/hectare. While rice production has remained stable for decades, demand for rice is rising steadily as populations increase.

"Meeting our food needs more adequately, equitably and sustainably will not be possible with our current technologies and mindsets, given the increasing constraints of climate change," explains Uphoff. "What we are learning about the contributions that beneficial microbes can make to the growth and health of crops and animals (as well as humans) is in itself a source of inspiration and impetus for multidisciplinary and collaborative work on agricultural and rural development."

SIR is a crop management approach developed by Father Henri de Laulanié in Madagascar in 1983. The aim is to create nutrient-rich soil and give individual plants the opportunity to grow, enabling them to develop stronger root systems. This leads to stronger plants and higher yields. For irrigated rice production, farmers transplant single young plants, spacing them widely in a grid pattern. They keep the soil moist and fertile but not flooded, enriching it with compost and other sources of organic nutrients. Weeding is done early and regularly, aerating the soil, with weeds added to the soil to decompose. These practices can be adapted to local conditions, such as water availability, soil conditions, weather, labor availability and access to seeds.

Adapting SIR practices can double yields while reducing costs by a quarter and saving up to 40% more water. In Bihar, India, strong increases in productivity and numerous socio-economic benefits have been observed, particularly among women. In northern Myanmar, under rain-fed conditions, net household income from rice production increased eightfold. According to Oxfam, "growing more rice with less water and agrochemical inputs is essential for future food security and environmental sustainability". More than 50 countries are applying the SIR methodology and modifying practices accordingly.

"For subsistence farmers, this kind of increase can mean the difference between not having enough rice to eat and being self-sufficient. That's huge," explains Caryl Levine, co-founder and co-owner of Lotus Foods. "They often reach household self-sufficiency in just one or two cycles, and after that, they have surpluses to sell. Our supply chain partner in Cambodia found that the net income, after inputs and labor costs, from growing rice was highest for farmers producing organic SIR rice with an income of up to 745 USD; traditional farmers lost around 70 USD."

The original article was first published on Foodtank