The cultivation of rice, though a staple food source, is water-intensive and a major contributor to methane and nitrous oxide emissions, potent greenhouse gases, exacerbating climate change. For example, rice cultivation alone contributes to 16.68% of the Indian agricultural sector’s global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. With depleting water resources and mounting climate challenges, there is a need for sustainable agricultural practices.

Crop diversification offers a promising solution by introducing alternative crops like millets, pulses, and oilseeds into rice-growing regions, reducing methane emissions while enhancing biodiversity and soil health. Crop diversification is a vital strategy to address both ecological and economic goals. Therefore, shifting from rice monocultures can help reduce GHG emissions, promoting the biodiversity–climate–development nexus and long-term sustainability.

The G20 is uniquely positioned to drive this transformation by championing policies and programmes that encourage sustainable agricultural practices. As a global forum, the G20 can leverage its influence to align efforts under the UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCD, ensuring synergistic outcomes across climate, biodiversity, and land-use goals. Subsidy reforms incentivising farmers to adopt diverse cropping systems – like rice-pulse rotations – reduce monoculture farming’s environmental burden and enhance soil health. The G20 could leverage the fund to support investments in climate-smart technologies and solutions, such as developing methane-reducing rice varieties or drought-resistant crops. Financing innovations through private-sector and development bank partnerships can be instrumental, as demonstrated by the African Development Bank’s climate-resilient agriculture programme, to support investments in climate- smart technologies and solutions, such as developing methane-reducing rice varieties or drought-resistant crops.