Banking on collaborations to better understand farmers’ readiness to participate in carbon markets, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) recently conducted a series of capacity-building activities in Thailand and Vietnam, including Training of Trainers (ToT) and enumerator workshops, as part of its ongoing projects to accelerate methane reductions in rice farming. The Thailand training was held on October 2–4, 2024 with Kasetsart University (KSU), while the Vietnam session took place on October 9–11, 2024, in collaboration with the Institute for Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD).
These training are integral part of two major projects being implemented by IRRI and partners, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC), aimed at generating actionable evidence and accelerating methane reductions in rice production systems. These projects, dubbed as the USAID-Methane Accelerator for Southeast Asia (MASEA) and CCAC- Accelerating Methane Reductions in Rice Production Systems through Market-based Mechanisms (AMR), respectively, are oriented towards supporting the design and implementation of carbon markets for low-emission rice farming in the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Understanding farmers’ readiness for rice carbon markets
Rice farming, a vital agricultural activity across Asia, is also a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, particularly methane—a potent but short-lived climate pollutant. To address this challenge, promoting climate-smart agriculture (CSA) practices among farmers is critical to reduce methane emissions in farming.
However, socio-technical challenges and a lack of incentives have historically hindered the adoption of CSA practices by rice farmers. IRRI and partners USAID and CCC aim to address these barriers by promoting the development of rice carbon markets, which can attract public and private investments to support low-emissions rice farming.
To assess the viability of rice carbon markets, IRRI’s socio-economics and policy analysis team collaborates with leading academic institutions in the region, such as KSU in Thailand and the IPSARD in Vietnam, to co-design and conduct empirical studies evaluating the willingness of rice farmers to adopt methane-reducing practices. These studies examine rice farmers’ awareness and perception of CSA technologies, their willingness to accept incentives for adopting them, interest in participating in rice carbon markets, along with baseline data such as their existing rice farming practices, productivity, and income.
Building local capacity
The training in particular was designed to help tailor-fitting the study to local contexts. During the sessions, the participants received guidance on tailoring survey instruments to reflect country-specific farming practices and scenarios. This customization ensures more accurate data relevant to the unique conditions of each study locale.
A key feature of the training also includes the introduction of a Computer-Assisted Personal Interviewing (CAPI) survey tool, facilitated through the Android-based Survey Solutions application. The tool streamlines data collection and processing, reducing the time and effort required for data encoding and cleaning.
As part of the session objectives, participants were also introduced to the concept of carbon markets and their potential to incentivize sustainable farming practices. The training design also covered lectures on CSA practices such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD), direct-seeded rice (DSR), rice straw management, and the “One Must Do, Five Reductions” (1M5R) technique.
Mock surveys were conducted to help trainers and enumerators familiarize themselves with the questionnaire and refine strategies for engaging with farmers effectively. The data collection phase is scheduled to begin in the third week of October and will conclude by December 2024.
Through initiatives like MASEA and AMR, IRRI is taking significant steps toward mitigating the environmental impact of rice farming while ensuring sustainable agricultural development in Southeast Asia.
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