This open access book contributes not only to the scientific literature on sustainable agricultural development and in particular rice agriculture but also is highly valuable to assist practitioners, projects, and policymakers due to its sections on reducing carbon footprint, agricultural innovations, and lessons learned from a multi-country/multi-stages development project. The scope of the book is conceived as a detailed documentation of the implementation, dissemination, and impact of the CORIGAP project in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with spill-over to Cambodia and the Philippines. It pulls together actionable research findings with the experience of bringing these findings into use. The aim of the book is to provide a wide array of pathways to impact for sustainable rice production in lowland irrigated rice-based agricultural systems. The book is written by local actors of the rice value chain, researchers, and engineers working on a range of best management practices, climate-smart rice production innovations, knowledge translation, and dissemination, as well as decision-making and policy aspects. It is envisioned that the contents of the book can be translated into messages that can help farmers, extension workers, policymakers, and funders of agricultural development, decide on implementing best management practices and climate-smart technologies in their agroecological systems by presenting the technological/practical options along the rice value chain and the partnerships and business models required for their implementation. The book is aimed at practitioners, extension specialists, researchers, and engineers interested in information on current best management practices, sustainable, and climate-smart rice production and constraints that need further investigation. Furthermore, the book is also aimed at policymakers and agricultural development funders required by public opinion and legally binding agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve biodiversity and increase agroecological practices, who are looking for research-based evidence to guide policymaking and implementation.
1 Introduction—How Swiss Foreign Aid for International Development Benefits Agricultural Development across Asia
Helena Wehmeyer, Grant Singleton, and Melanie Connor
2 Environmental, social and economic challenges in lowland rice production
Melanie Connor, Arelene Julia B. Malabayabas, Annalyn H. de Guia, Helena Wehmeyer, Anny Ruth P. Pame, Nyo Me Htwe, Xuhua Zhong, Youqiang Fu, Kaiming Liang, Junfeng Pan, Xiangyu Hu, Yanzhuo Liu, Nuning Argo Subekti, Hasil Sembiring, Arlyna Budi Pustika, Sudarmaji, Yanter Hutapea, Budi Raharjo, Setia Sari Girsang, Syhari, Renny Utami Sumantri, and Grant R. Singleton
3 Faunal Biodiversity in Rice-dominated Wetlands—an Essential Component of Sustainable Rice Production
Catherine R. Propper, Grant R. Singleton, Jodi L. Sedlock, Richard E. Smedley, Oliver Frith, Molly E. Shuman-Goodier, Renee P. Lorica, Alejandro Grajal-Puche, Finbarr Horgan, Colin V. Prescott, and Alexander M. Stuart
4 Innovations, Technologies, and Management Practices for Sustainable Rice Production
Nguyen Van Hung, Martin Gummert, Rica Joy Flor, Akhara Ouk, Makarakpakphea Keo, Buyung Hadi, Kim Eang Tho, Rathmuny Then, Saban Choun, Pham Thi Minh Hieu, Cornelia Sattler, Melanie Connor, Sudarmaji, Nyo Me Htwe, Joseph M Sandro, C. Balingbing, and Grant R. Singleton
5 Carbon Footprint Reduction from Closing Rice Yield Gaps
Nguyen Van Hung, Nguyen Thi Ha-An, Grant R. Singleton, and Melanie Connor
6 Partnerships and Approaches Used for Scaling: An Assessment of the Process for Rice Postharvest Technologies in CORIGAP
Rica Joy Flor, Reianne Quilloy, Harro Maat, Nguyen Van Hung, Myo Aung Kyaw, and Martin Gummert
7 Incentive Mechanisms, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Communication of the CORIGAP Project
Melanie Connor, Arelene J. Malabayabas, Phoebe Ricarte, Matty Demont, Pham Thi Minh Hieu, Rica J. Flor, Donald B. Villanueva, Valerian O. Pede, Annalyn H. de Guia, and Martin Gummert
Dr. Melanie Connor is a senior scientist at the International Rice Research Institute, specializing in behavioral science and international development. Dr. Connor’s research primarily focuses on decision-making in agriculture and rural development, specifically on food system transformation and crop diversification to address climate change challenges, biodiversity loss, the reduction of natural resources, and the triple burden of malnutrition. She has been part of Phases II and III of the CORIGAP project focusing on documenting the outcomes and impacts and harnessing the lessons learned.
Engr. Martin Gummert is an agricultural engineer and was a senior scientist leading the Postharvest and Mechanization Cluster of the International Rice Research Institute until 2022. He advocates for better postharvest management to improve the quality of rice and reduce losses caused by spoilage and pests. His time at IRRI centered on extracting more value from rice harvests through improved quality, processing, market systems, and new products. In 2020, he became the project coordinator for the Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint Project (CORIGAP), funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). He supported all the knowledge management initiatives and impact documentation until the project closed.
Dr. Grant Singleton was a principal scientist at the International Rice Research Institute until 2019, a visiting Professor at the University of Greenwich, UK, and an adjunct professor at Northern Arizona University, USA. Grant was the coordinator of the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) and the Closing Rice Yield Gaps in Asia with Reduced Environmental Footprint (CORIGAP) Project funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) until his retirement. A world expert in ecologically based rodent management, Dr. Singleton is also involved in cross-cutting research in natural resource management.
This open access book contributes not only to the scientific literature on sustainable agricultural development and in particular rice agriculture but also is highly valuable to assist practitioners, projects, and policymakers due to its sections on reducing carbon footprint, agricultural innovations, and lessons learned from a multi-country/multi-stages development project.
The scope of the book is conceived as a detailed documentation of the implementation, dissemination, and impact of the CORIGAP project in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, China, Vietnam, and Indonesia, with spill-over to Cambodia and the Philippines. It pulls together actionable research findings with the experience of bringing these findings into use. The aim of the book is to provide a wide array of pathways to impact for sustainable rice production in lowland irrigated rice-based agricultural systems. The book is written by local actors of the rice value chain, researchers, and engineers working on a range of best management practices, climate-smart rice production innovations, knowledge translation, and dissemination, as well as decision-making and policy aspects. It is envisioned that the contents of the book can be translated into messages that can help farmers, extension workers, policymakers, and funders of agricultural development, decide on implementing best management practices and climate-smart technologies in their agroecological systems by presenting the technological/practical options along the rice value chain and the partnerships and business models required for their implementation. The book is aimed at practitioners, extension specialists, researchers, and engineers interested in information on current best management practices, sustainable, and climate-smart rice production and constraints that need further investigation. Furthermore, the book is also aimed at policymakers and agricultural development funders required by public opinion and legally binding agreements to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve biodiversity and increase agroecological practices, who are looking for research-based evidence to guide policymaking and implementation.