Smart solutions for a thirsty tradition

Rice is the staple food for more than two-thirds of the world’s population. But its traditional cultivation consumes vast amounts of freshwater and contributes around ten percent of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. To address these challenges, BASF develops technologies for climate-smart rice.

From sushi to risotto – rice is savored around the globe and grown on a massive scale. In many developing countries it supplies more than 70 percent of daily calories, making it a foundation of global food security.

At the same time, rice production is closely linked to water availability. Traditional rice cultivation is highly water-intensive and often relies on continuous flooding of fields. In many rice-growing regions, stable and abundant water supplies have long been taken for granted. However, increasing water scarcity, climate variability, and competition for freshwater resources are challenging this assumption. As a result, reducing dependency on water has become a critical priority for the future of rice production.

For Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President responsible for Global Strategic Marketing & Sustainability at BASF Agricultural Solutions, this scale brings both responsibility and opportunity. “When a crop feeds so many people, even small improvements can ripple through the entire food system,” he says. “Rice is one of those crops where change really matters.”

Global Carbon Field Trial Report 2025 (Edition 2: Rice): Advancing Reliable Climate-Smart Solutions for Farmers & Food Systems

An old crop, an unusual system

Since 2023, BASF has partnered with the International Rice Research Institute in the Philippines to test rice-focused solutions as part of BASF’s Global Carbon Field Trial Program. The trials measure greenhouse gas emissions, water use, and yield under real farming conditions. Key findings are promising and show that a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas intensity in rice is possible, and that new practices have proven effective in lowering emissions and water use – without reducing yield.

“Rice is quite unique,” says Ligia Azevedo, Senior Sustainability Manager at BASF Agricultural Solutions. “Farmers have been cultivating it for thousands of years, largely in the same way – under water, in small fields called paddies.” Unlike wheat or corn, rice spends much of its life submerged. Flooded fields may look unusual, but water historically served a clear purpose.

“The water isn’t there because rice needs it all the time,” Azevedo explains. “It’s mainly about weed control. Flooding was one of the most effective ways to suppress weeds competing with rice for sunlight and nutrients.” In simple terms, water allowed rice to grow while keeping competitors at bay.

More than 90 percent of the world’s rice is produced in the Asia-Pacific region, but the crop is also central in Mediterranean Europe and Latin America.

Flooded rice field in Piedmont, Italy.

A thirsty tradition

At global scale, this system becomes demanding. Rice cultivation is among the most water-intensive farming systems. Producing one kilogram of rice can require more than 1,400 liters of water, and rice accounts for over 30 percent of global irrigation water use.

“If you picture a rice field covered by just a few centimeters of water, that already adds up to several tons per hectare,” Grozdanovic says. “And because paddies constantly lose water, it’s like trying to keep a leaky swimming pool full.”

Flooding also affects what happens below the surface. Oxygen-poor soils favor methane-producing bacteria. As a result, rice cultivation accounts for 48 percent of methane emissions from agricultural land and it is a greenhouse gas roughly 27 times more potent than CO₂. That is one of the reasons why this crop alone contributes to 10 percent of total agricultural greenhouse gas emissions worldwide.

How BASF improves rice farming

A key shift of BASF’s Global Carbon Field Trial Program involves rice varieties with herbicide-tolerant traits, giving farmers an alternative to permanent flooding for weed control.

This flexibility enables alternate wetting and drying, where fields are flooded and then allowed to dry out periodically.
The results of this collaboration have now been published in the BASF Global Carbon Field Trials Report documenting how different water and weed management approaches perform under real farming conditions.

Ligia Azevedo, Senior Sustainability Manager at BASF Agricultural Solutions, in a Philippine rice field.

Farmer in a Philippine rice field.

Change without compromise

The challenge is not whether rice farming needs to change – but how. “For farmers, yield is king,” Azevedo emphasizes. “Reducing water use must never come at the expense of farm income. Any solution has to work agronomically and economically.”

For Grozdanovic, this reality defines BASF Agricultural Solutions’ approach. “We believe that real progress comes from working hand in hand with farmers: listening, adapting, and developing solutions that address their local challenges. Guided by insights from close and ongoing dialogue, we create solutions that work where they matter most – in the field .”

A more balanced future

“To produce 1 ton of rice, we need roughly between 1,000 to 5,000 liters of water, depending on how it is grown. When you see how much water goes into producing food, you start to value food – and water – very differently,” Azevedo says.

For Grozdanovic, that shift in perspective is essential. “Sustainability isn’t about sacrifice,” he says. “It’s about using resources smarter – which is why we are advancing solutions to support farmers improve weed control, sustain yield potential, and adopt crop management techniques that meet evolving agricultural and climate challenges.”

Marko Grozdanovic, Senior Vice President responsible for Global Strategic Marketing & Sustainability at BASF Agricultural Solutions