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Cornell University

Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition

Chhattisgarh Can Reduce Ag Emissions Through Diversification

A man walking through farmland

India has made enormous progress against hunger by incentivizing the production of staple grains like rice and wheat. Yet, as climate change advances, the country’s dependence on rice is becoming a burden due both to its large environmental footprint and its vulnerability to the climatic shifts forecast for India in the future.

In a new policy brief, researchers from the Tata-Cornell Institute for Agriculture and Nutrition (TCI) show how diversifying agricultural production in favor of “climate-smart” crops can help one state, Chhattisgarh, to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions created by its agricultural system. According to the brief, India’s total rice-related methane emissions would fall by as much as 3% if Chhattisgarh made a 25% reduction in the amount of land it uses for rice cultivation.

“India faces a threefold challenge of producing nutritious food for its population while curbing emissions and adapting its food systems to our changing climate,” TCI Director Prabhu Pingali said. “Our research shows that the diversification of agriculture with crops like millets, pulses, and oilseeds can help Chhattisgarh to produce nutritious food, cut harmful emissions, and ensure that its agricultural system is resilient to the effects of climate change.”

TCI researchers modeled the impact on methane emissions in Chhattisgarh through 2030 under three different scenarios—a 10% reduction in land used for rice production, a 25% reduction, and no reduction. They found that a 10% reduction would decrease rice-related emissions from 340 gigagrams to 306 gigagrams. A 25% reduction would further reduce emissions to 255 gigagrams.

“Due to the enormity of rice production in Chhattisgarh, methane reduction in the state would have a significant effect on India’s overall emissions,” Pingali said.

As the third highest producer of rice in India, Chhattisgarh is responsible for 9% of the country’s rice-related emissions. Under the 10% reduction scenario modeled by TCI, India’s total rice-related methane emissions would fall by 1%. Under the 25 percent scenario, total emissions would decrease by 3%.

“Due to the enormity of rice production in Chhattisgarh, methane reduction in the state would have a significant effect on India’s overall emissions,” Pingali said. “By pursuing diversification, the state can also be a model for other rice-producing states that are vulnerable to climate change.”

Known as the “rice bowl” of India, Chhattisgarh produces 9.6% of the country’s rice. Rice cultivation is fueled by supplements to the minimum standard price at which the Indian government buys rice from farmers for the Public Distribution System, a national food subsidy program. In 2020-21, the Government of Chhattisgarh paid farmers over 600 rupees more per 100 kilograms than the national government. Further incentive to produce rice comes from the subsidized expansion of irrigation in the state, which is necessary for growing rice during dry seasons.

Bowls of different types of millets arranged in a circle on a green mat

Millets, pulses and oilseeds are well-suited to Chhattisgarh’s climate, requiring less irrigation and fertilizer than rice. (Photo by Raghav Puri/TCI)

With climate change expected to bring higher average temperatures, changes in precipitation and more frequent extreme weather events, rice production in Chhattisgarh is at risk of higher costs and diminishing yields. The TCI policy brief presents pulses, millets and oilseeds as climate-smart options to cultivate instead of rice. The hardy, resilient crops were traditionally grown in Indian and are compatible with the country’s agroclimatic conditions, requiring less irrigation and synthetic fertilizers. They also have comparably better nutritional profiles.

“Rice provides valuable calories for the Indian population, but it lacks important micronutrients that other, more environmentally friendly crops can provide,” Pingali said. “With the threat of climate change and increasing nutritional demands, increasing the cultivation of pulses, millets, and oilseeds is a win-win.”

Agriculture is the second largest contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, with rice cultivation contributing 10% of agricultural emissions, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. India produces nearly a quarter of the world’s rice and is the leading emitter of rice-related methane. Rice’s dominance in India dates to the Green Revolution in the 1960s, during which minimum support prices and subsidies for fertilizer and irrigation incentivized farmers to grow new high-yielding varieties of rice and wheat. India purchases tens of millions of tons of rice each year for distribution through the Public Distribution System.

TCI’s policy brief was produced as part of the institute’s Transformation of Agricultural Systems for Climate Resilience project, in collaboration with the nongovernmental organization, Professional Assistance for Development Action. The project aims to chart pathways to diversify Chhattisgarh’s agricultural system in order to improve climate resiliency, boost farmer incomes and encourage nutritious dietary choices.

Featured image: A farmer walks through a field of rice in Chhattisgarh, India. (Photo by Manoej Paateel/Shutterstock)