think climate. think change.
Department of Climate Change
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With strong leadership from the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA), Australian rice growers have developed a reputation as leaders in environmental management.
The Ricegrowers’ Environmental Champions programme is the industry’s innovative and holistic environmental management system. It has been designed by growers, for growers, to address a wide range of environmental and production issues currently faced by the rice industry.
Climate change and the enhanced greenhouse effect are relatively new but increasingly important issues for rice growers, as well as other agricultural industries. While growers are used to dealing with day-to-day and year-to-year climate variability, climate change signals the arrival of a new operating environment. Maintaining current levels of productivity and international competitiveness will require the increased resilience that comes from the effective and efficient management of key resources.
Greenhouse gas emissions represent the escape of resources from farming systems. Taking steps to reduce these emissions can therefore lead to production and financial benefits, while achieving environmental benefits at the same time. Further, because emissions are an indication of the efficiency of production, these actions will also help to increase the industry’s capacity to successfully respond to the impacts of climate change. In this way, managing resources to reduce greenhouse gas emissions can lead to multiple benefits for the rice industry.
Australian rice growers have reasoned that greenhouse measures can and should be implemented as part of a strategic and coordinated approach. The Ricegrowers’ Environmental Champions programme provides an ideal framework for addressing greenhouse gas emissions and climate change as an integral part of the overall management of farming systems.
In partnership with the Australian Greenhouse Office, the RGA has taken the lead role in raising the rice industry’s awareness of the challenges presented by climate change, and of the opportunities for addressing these as a part of improving overall performance. The industry has identified seven key areas of opportunity for effective action: reducing emissions from flooded rice fields, more efficient nitrogen use, minimising soil disturbance, reducing stubble burning, improving energy efficiency, and reducing waste.
This publication reports on the achievements of the Australian rice industry in addressing greenhouse and climate change issues as part of a leading environmental management system. It also provides guidance for growers on recommended practices for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve multiple benefits.
