ClimateRice
Transforming global
rice production with SRI
ClimateRice is a collaboration between
Cornell University & CarbonFarm
We aim to scale up the System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
to 1/3 of global rice area in 10 years
To get there, we're creating a self-financing model with carbon credits
4 billion people depend on rice every day
The way we grow rice needs to change
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15% yield loss expected by 2050 due to climate change
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12% of anthropogenic methane emissions come from rice
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33% of global fresh water is used to irrigate rice
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80% of rice is grown by smallholder farmers
A climate-resilient alternative exist
The System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
A simple method based on agronomy, agro-ecology and farmer knowledge
Early plant establishment
Transplant young seedlings to maximize time for shoot and root development
Low plant density
Allow for unconstrained root and shoot growth by reducing plant population by 90%
Regenerating soils
Regenerate soils with organic matter, benefiting soil biology that supports plant growth
Intermittent Irrigation
Aerate the soil and allow roots and beneficial soil organisms to thrive
For the farmers
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+20 to +100% increase in smallholder profits
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improved soil quality
For the environment
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50% reduction in methane emissions
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30% reduction in water use
For food security
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Increased grain yield of 20-50% and more, independent of varieties
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Improved resilience to drought, flooding and extreme wind events
Scaling SRI globally requires money to train and support farmers...
... so we're creating a virtuous self-financing model.
This is our self-financing model
1. Train farmers
2. Measure impact
3. Sell carbon credits
1/ Train farmers
Provide training and support to farmers to adopt SRI
2/ Measure the impact
Use satellites to measure, report and verify the reduction in methane emissions
3/ Sell carbon credits
Issue and sell registry-certified carbon credits to companies striving to reach Net Zero emissions
4/ Repeat
Use carbon credit sales to reward farmers, and train and support new ones
Our Impact
We're targeting 55M hectares over the next 10 years.
That's one-third of global rice farmland.
+40% increase in smallholder profits
Higher yields.
Lower input costs.
Extra revenue from carbon credits.
The Team
Earth Observation Start-up
Vassily Carantino
CEO CarbonFarm
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James Hastwell
CTO CarbonFarm
Erika is a global expert on implementing and scaling-up the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), and has worked in 30+ countries for the past 30 years.
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She is connected to a global network of local SRI partners in 50+ countries.
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Professor of the Practice in Tropical Agronomy, Department of Global Development, Cornell University, Director of Climate-Resilient Farming System.
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Vassily combines expertise in climate change with a cultivated intuition for data-driven problem solving.
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As a former McKinsey consultant, he specialised in sustainability & carbon markets.
Engineer by training, Vassily is a graduate of Columbia Business School.
James is the data product leader to leverage big data and scientific research to build innovative products.
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Prior to CarbonFarm, James was the Head of Data Science at a French AdTech leading a team of 15 engineers.
James holds a Masters in Applied Mathematics from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris.
