Regional trade and sustainable intensification advance rice self-sufficiency in East Africa

Many global regions, including East Africa, implement policy goals advocating increased agricultural self-sufficiency to promote economic development and food security. Required increases in production can, however, negatively impact the environment. We assessed upscaling sustainable rice intensification in East Africa, comparing regional trade and environmental policy scenarios using a novel hydro-economic modeling framework that optimizes farmer profit subject to technical and resource constraints. Allocating rice production to current croplands, where rainfed rice production is economically competitive with other crops, can achieve regional rice self-sufficiency in 2050 with limited environmental impacts. Regionally integrated trade further increases rice production (+14%), improves resilience to climate shocks (−46% production losses), and reduces water use (−81%) and greenhouse gas emissions (−7%). Negative impacts of climate shocks could be avoided by expanding irrigated rice production. To realize these benefits, East African countries need moderate productivity upgrading, investment in infrastructure, especially for irrigation, and enhanced regional cooperation, including trade agreements and benefit-sharing mechanisms, as well as joint planning and access to production inputs, land and water resources.

Read The Article Here: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/406902820_Regional_trade_and_sustainable_intensification_advance_rice_self-sufficiency_in_East_Africa