Sustainable Rice Farming: Unlocking Nigeria’s Potential with System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
Traditional rice-growing practices in Nigeria contribute to water scarcity and greenhouse gas emissions. Continuous flooding of rice fields leads to inefficient water use and exacerbates environmental problems, including methane emissions and climate change. There is an urgent need to switch from these conventional practices to more sustainable alternatives, such as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI).
Research shows that SRI offers significant advantages over conventional rice cultivation. It improves water-use efficiency by promoting intermittent irrigation and aerobic soil conditions, thereby reducing methane emissions and increasing rice yields. SRI practices contribute to environmental sustainability while improving farmers’ livelihoods and food security. The policy brief proposes concrete recommendations to facilitate the adoption and scaling-up of SRI practices in Nigeria, such as policy support, financial incentives, capacity building, research and development, as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.
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