Climate-smart rice cultivation: combating global warming without sacrificing yields

‘Climate-smart’ rice cultivation — a set of environmentally-friendly agricultural practices — is being introduced to farmers in Wonosari and Keboncandi villages in the Rejoso Watershed in Gondang Wetan District, Pasuruan Regency, East Java.

The Gerakan Rejoso Kita project, supported by Danone Ecosystem Fund – French, is doing so to provide evidence to everyone in the rice-farming business in the Rejoso Watershed that yields can remain high without endangering the environment, reducing soil fertility, increasing greenhouse gases, or wasting water.

‘What many farmers seem to think is that if they want high yields, they will need a lot of chemical pesticides and fertilizers even though they also know that excessive application of chemicals is not good for the environment,’ explained Dr. Ni’matul Khasanah, coordinator of Gerakan Rejoso Kita.