Digital Rice Services for Super Pollutant Mitigation

Published
2026
Download
Digital Rice

Why rice systems matter for super pollutant mitigation

Rice remains a cornerstone of global food security, serving as a primary staple for more than half of the world’s population. At the same time, flooded rice paddies can produce methane emissions through the decomposition of organic matter such as rice straw.

The report highlights that rice mitigation strategies need to consider methane, nitrous oxide and black carbon together, so that climate-smart practices deliver real net benefits.

Top Production
2024/2025 Rice Production

Mitigation practices and digital tools

 

What are Digital Rice Services?

Digital Rice Services are tools and systems that support better decisions in the rice sector. They can combine advisory services, remote sensing, field data, sensors, digital MRV, decision support and carbon accounting.

They help farmers, governments, investors and project developers identify where mitigation practices are suitable, monitor adoption, track results and target resources more effectively.

1. MRV tools

Digital systems can support measurement, reporting and verification by collecting and organizing emissions-related data.

2. Digital advisory services

Mobile tools and extension platforms can provide farmers with practical guidance on water, fertilizer and crop management.

3. Precision agriculture and IoT tools

Sensors, remote sensing and field-level technologies can support more targeted rice management decisions.

4. Market access and incentive platforms

Digital platforms can connect farmers with incentives, finance, carbon markets or sustainability programmes.

5. Education, gamification and capacity building

Digital learning tools can support farmer engagement, training and wider adoption of low-emission practices.

Key Messages

Investment opportunities

Scaling Digital Rice Services requires investment from different actors. The report points to opportunities for the public sector, private sector and philanthropy, while noting that climate finance for agricultural non-CO2 mitigation remains modest compared with the scale of need. 

Digital tools can help lower monitoring costs, improve transparency, and support carbon market accounting by moving evidence collection from paper-based systems towards dashboards, satellite data, sensors and field-level digital records. 

For Article 6 and voluntary carbon markets, the value of DRS lies in making rice-sector mitigation more measurable and finance-attractive. Digital MRV can reduce verification costs, improve the accuracy of emissions data and link on-farm data to carbon credit systems. 

The report identifies opportunities for public actors, private sector partners, philanthropies and climate finance stakeholders to support the development and scaling of Digital Rice Services.

Public sector

Governments can integrate Digital Rice Services into agricultural policies, NDC implementation, MRV systems and climate-smart agriculture programmes.

Private sector

Agritech firms, service providers and digital platforms can support innovation, advisory services, data systems and scalable tools for farmers.

Philanthropy

Philanthropic funding can help de-risk early-stage pilots, support capacity building and test new delivery models.

Climate finance and carbon markets

Digital MRV can help strengthen credibility, reduce monitoring costs and support access to climate finance or carbon market mechanisms.

Tags
Pollutants (SLCPs)