Climate Smart Rice

In California, Arkansas and Mississippi, rice producers have been leaders in adopting new practices and technologies to improve productivity and continue operating sustainably in a changing climate. Arkansas leads United States’ rice production, growing rice on over 1.3 million acres in 2015, while California is the second largest rice-producing state, producing rice on approximately 423,000 acres in 2015. The Program’s participating farmers are truly taking an innovative approach to land management, sustainable food systems, and combating climate change.

The two programs, one in California and one in the Midsouth including Arkansas and Mississippi, represents 7 rice producers across 37 fields and over 2,000 acres. This program supports farmers adopt changes to rice farming practices that produce GHG emission reductions and other environmental benefits. This initial group of rice farmers in Arkansas, California and Mississippi is participating in the first validation and verification of the offsets under the American Carbon Registry. The voluntary management practices adopted by these farmers include: early drainage before harvest, straw baling, and removal after harvest and alternate wetting and drying.