Global Methane Hub sets rice methane reduction roadmap for 2040

Global Methane Hub has released a strategy to cut methane from rice farming by 50% by 2040 while protecting yields and farmer adoption. The plan will steer a $100 million accelerator and new research “Super Sites” across Asia as climate pressures intensify on one of the world’s most important crops.

Why it matters: - Rice feeds about half the global population and can supply up to 70% of daily calories for millions, especially in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. - Rice cultivation generates 8% to 12% of total human-caused methane emissions. - Five Asian countries — China, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam and Thailand — account for nearly 80% of global methane emissions from rice. - Without new low-emission approaches, rice methane emissions could rise by an estimated 7% by 2030. - The strategy is meant to cut emissions while protecting yields, water use efficiency, farmer resilience and global food supply.

What happened: - The Global Methane Hub released a new strategy to halve methane emissions from rice farming by 2040. - The plan was unveiled during Singapore International Agrifood Week in Singapore. - The strategy will guide the Global Methane Hub’s $100 million Rice Methane Innovation Accelerator, launched last year. - The accelerator will focus on five research areas: agronomic practices, soil amendments, plant genetics, methane-reducing agents and measurement tools.

The details: - Research will be tested at new “Super Sites” across South, Southeast and East Asia. - The Super Sites will complement existing infrastructure in the region. - The facilities are designed to generate high-quality emissions data under near real-world farming conditions. - The sites will use scientific instrumentation and data management systems to validate and improve technologies and models. - Existing solutions include alternate wetting and drying, or AWD, which has been reported to cut methane by 30% to 70%. - Other research areas include soil supplements such as gypsum and biochar, methane-reducing agents and genetic traits for low-emission rice varieties. - The Global Methane Hub launched the accelerator with an initial $30 million commitment and aims to raise at least $100 million from philanthropic, public and private funders. - Funders and supporters include the Gates Foundation, Philanthropy Asia Alliance, Quadrature Climate Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, among others. - The Rice Methane Innovation Accelerator is the Global Methane Hub’s second flagship research initiative after the Enteric Fermentation Accelerator. - The Enteric Fermentation Accelerator has raised more than $200 million in pooled and aligned funding, with more than $120 million deployed in research projects so far.

Between the lines: - Flooded rice paddies create oxygen-free conditions that help methane-producing soil microbes thrive. - Most of the methane is released into the atmosphere through the rice plants. - The strategy reflects a push to stack multiple solutions rather than rely on a single practice. - The emphasis on farmer affordability and practicality suggests the accelerator is targeting adoption, not just lab results. - Climate shocks such as this year’s “super” El Niño are adding urgency, with the Philippines warning of a potential 17% drop in rice production and India and Thailand also expected to be affected.

What's next: - The accelerator will use the strategy to direct funding and research across the five priority areas. - The Super Sites will support ongoing field testing and data collection as more solutions are developed and validated. - The goal is to move proven methane-reduction tools into farmers’ hands faster and at scale. - The long-term target is a 50% cut in rice methane emissions by 2040 without reducing harvests.

The bottom line: - Rice methane is a major climate lever, and the Global Methane Hub is betting that coordinated research across Asia can turn promising ideas into deployable tools for farmers.