Climate-Smart Rice Production in Thailand: Challenge and Opportunity
Keywords:
Rice Production, Climate Change, Climate Smart AgricultureAbstract
Rice, a staple diet for over half the global population, with over eighty percent of production concentrated in Asia, faces significant challenges from climate change, particularly in Thailand. This review analyzes the current situation of rice production in Thailand, its contribution to Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, and the impacts of climate change on productivity, drawing insights from existing literature. Findings indicate that Thailand’s rice production has gradually declined, potentially affecting global food security through reduced exports. Thai farmers contend with rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, and extreme weather events, which heighten production risks and disrupt planting schedules, especially for rain-fed systems. Additionally, rice cultivation is a notable source of GHG emissions, releasing methane (CH4) and Nitrous Oxide (N2O) under flooded conditions, which favor anaerobic decomposition. To mitigate these circumstances, Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices are being widely introduced as a holistic approach. Common strategies observed across Vietnam, Malaysia, and Thailand include Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and the use of climate-tolerant rice varieties, which help mitigate water scarcity and extreme climate conditions. The review emphasizes, however, that the selection of appropriate CSA practices must consider diverse regional and local contexts. To facilitate broader CSA adoption and enhance climate resilience, this review recommends further research into high-potential microorganisms for efficient rice straw decomposition and addressing the scarcity of skilled service providers and machinery for Laser Land leveling. Ultimately, adopting climate-smart rice production will enable Thai farmers to adapt to sustainable practices and enhance their global competitiveness in the rice market.
References
Attavanich, W. (2023). A review of the impact of climate change on food security and co-benefits of adaptation and mitigation options in Thailand. Journal of Agricultural Policy, 5(Special), 1-10.
Bandumula, N. (2018). Rice production in Asia: Key to global food security. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences, India section B: Biological sciences, 88, 1323-1328. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40011-017-0867-7
Bhusal, T. R., Sinutok, S., & Gyawali, S. (2025). A systematic review of the effect of climate change on rice farming in Nepal. Current Applied Science and Technology, 25(5), e0258892. https://doi.org/10.55003/cast.2025.258892
Buddhaboon, C., Sankum, Y., Tongnoy, S., & Jintrawet, A. (2022). Adaptation of rice production system to climate change in Thailand: Trend and policy. FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform. https://ap.fftc.org.tw/article/3072
Castillo, C. (2011). Rice in Thailand: The archaeobotanical contribution. Rice, 4(Suppl. 3-4), 114-120. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12284-011-9070-2
Das, S., Park, S., Seo, Y., & Kim, P. (2024). The need for holistic approaches to climate-smart rice production. Sustainable Agriculture, 2(1), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-024-00023-3
Dharma, A. W. (2021). Scoping study climate smart rice, country report – Thailand: Promoting global best practices and scaling of low emissions technologies by engaging the private and public sectors in the paddy rice sector. UNEP Asia Pacific Office. https://shorturl.asia/0kEdo
Duc Truong, D., Tho Dat, T., & Huy Huan, L. (2022). Factors affecting climate-smart agriculture practice adaptation among farming households in coastal central Vietnam: The case of Ninh Thuan Province. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, 935755. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.790089
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2013). Climate smart agriculture. https://www.fao.org/4/i3325e/i3325e.pdf
Food and Agriculture Organization the United Nations (FAO). (2018). The future of food and agriculture: Alternative pathways to 2050. https://shorturl.asia/hoTrp
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2000). Bridging the rice yield gap in the Asia-Pacific region. https://shorturl.asia/mdC4q
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2021a). Climate-smart agriculture. https://www.fao.org/climate-smart-agriculture/overview/en/
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2021b). GACSA 2030 and beyond: Strategic plan 2022-2032. https://shorturl.asia/5isO8
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). (2025). Crop and livestock production. Ministry of Agriculture - Czech Republic. https://www.fao.org/family-farming/detail/en/c/289563/
Fukagawa, N. K., & Ziska, L. H. (2019). Rice: Importance for global nutrition. Journal of Nutritional Science and Vitaminology, 65(Suppl. 2), S2-S3. https://doi.org/10.3177/jnsv.65.S2
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). (2022). Thai Rice NAMA introduces the half-half co-payment scheme to provide farmers and agripreneurs with financial support for climate-smart rice farming. https://shorturl.asia/PEYpl
Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). (2024). Thai Rice NAMA. https://shorturl.asia/JhDS2
Kawasaki, J. (2024). Thailand’s rice farmers adapt to climate change. United Nations University. https://shorturl.asia/w3sRV
Khamkhunmuang, T., Punchay, K., Promburom, P., & Wangpakapattanawong, P. (2022). Developing climate-smart agriculture indicators for SDG 1 and environmental implications in Northern Thailand. EnvironmentAsia, 15(3), 1-13.
Luu, T. D. (2020). Factors influencing farmers’ adoption of climate-smart agriculture in rice production in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Asian Journal of Agriculture and Development, 17(1), 110-124.
Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning. (2020). Thailand’s third biennial update report under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (BUR3). Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. https://www.undp.org/publications/Third-Biennial-Update-Report
Pakeechai, K., Sinnarong, N., Autchariyapanitkul, K., & Supapunt, P. (2020). The impacts of climate change factors on rice production and climate-smart agriculture in the watershed areas of central Thailand. RMUTSB Academic Journal (Humanities and Social Sciences), 5(2), 196-218.
Phuong, N. (2016). Climate change and effect on rice production in Thailand. FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform. https://ap.fftc.org.tw/article/1112
Rahman, M., Suptian, M., Rashid, M., Jamil, S., Hanifah, N., Rasdi, R., Jumat, F., Saidon, S., Kamuruzaman, R., Rahman, S., & Sabdin, Z. (2023). Research initiatives towards implementation of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) practices for rice and other crops in Malaysia. FFTC Agricultural Policy Platform. https://shorturl.asia/uJl5F
Rajendran, S., Park, H., Kim, J., Parj, S., Shin, D., Lee, J., Song, Y., Paek, N., & Kim, C. (2024). Methane emission from rice fields: Necessity for molecular approach for mitigation. Rice Science, 31(2), 159-178.
Sanago, S., Toure, I., Arinloye, D., Dossou-Yovo, & Bayala, J. (2023). Factors affecting the adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies in rice farming systems in Mali, West Africa. Smart Agricultural Technology, 5, 1-10.
Sebastian, L., & Bernado, E. (2019). Making the smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia climate smart: The CCAFS R4D thrust. In Climate-smart agriculture for small-scale farmers in the Asian and Pacific region (pp. 201-226). National Agriculture and Food Research Organization. https://url.in.th/zoQaV
Thai Meteorological Department. (2022, August 4). Annual mean temperature in Thailand. https://www.tmd.go.th/en/ClimateChart/annual-mean-temperature-in-thailand
Thepent, V., & Chamsing, A. (n.d.). Agricultural mechanization development in Thailand. Centre for Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization. https://shorturl.asia/1mIeG
The Nation. (2025). The Agriculture and Cooperatives Ministry is promoting low-carbon rice cultivation to cut Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, tackle global warming and boost competitiveness in the global market. The Nation.
Tran, N. L. D., Rañola, R. F., Ole Sander, B., Reiner, W., Nguyen, D. T., & Nong, N. K. N. (2020). Determinants of adoption of climate-smart agriculture technologies in rice production in Vietnam. International Journal of Climate Change Strategies and Management, 12(2), 238-256. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCCSM-01-2019-0003
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (n.d.). Production: Rice. https://www.fas.usda.gov/data/production/commodity//0422110
van Dijk, M., Morley, T., Rau, M. L., & Saghai, Y. (2021). A meta-analysis of projected global food demand and population at risk of hunger for the period 2010-2050. Nature Food, 2, 494-501. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-021-00322-9
Vernooy, R., Hoan, L., Cuong, N., & Vinh, B. (2018). Farmer’s own assessment of climate smart agriculture: Insights from Ma village in Vietnam. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS). https://hdl.handle.net/10568/90628
World Bank. (n.d.). Climate-smart agriculture in Vietnam. https://url.in.th/XQeBi
