A smarter way to grow rice

Juergen Voegele & Yvonne Pinto

June 08, 2025

"Have you had your rice today?" In Viet Nam, this everyday greeting reflects just how central rice is to life-so essential that the day doesn't truly begin until people have eaten a few mouthfuls.

Half of humanity eats rice. But behind the ubiquitous staple lies a mounting crisis.

The global rice industry is experiencing real turbulence. Yields are stagnating after decades of intensive farming that have drained water resources and exhausted the soil. Many of the 140 million rice farmers in the world live in poverty - managing tiny plots, exposed to risks and with few opportunities to diversify. Rice farmers are also getting older on average, and the grueling demands of the job are pushing the next generation to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Now, shifting weather patterns, floods, droughts, and saltwater intrusion are making rice production even more precarious. Some experts warn that a 2°C rise in global temperatures could cut yields by as much as 20 percent-just as demand continues to climb.

Read more: https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/agfood/a-smarter-way-to-grow-rice

Juergen Voegele
Vice President for the Planet, World Bank
More Blogs By Juergen

Yvonne Pinto
Director General, International Rice Research Institute
More Blogs By Yvonne