Thai Rice: Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming Thailand

The Thai Rice Project seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the climate resilience of approximately 253,400 smallholder rice farmers across 21 provinces in Thailand. The project focuses on the adoption of climate-smart technologies such as alternate wetting and drying (AWD), laser land levelling (LLL), and site-specific nutrient management (SSNM). It implements a bottom-up approach, providing farmers with training and financial incentives, while supporting service providers through capacity building and a new Climate-Smart Loan (CSL) scheme via the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC). Additionally, the project aims to strengthen the market for sustainable rice through the Thai Agricultural Standard (TAS) and develop a voluntary carbon market via the T-VER Rice Scheme. The project is expected to reduce 12.56 MtCO2e over its 15-year lifespan.

• The project targets the reduction of 12.56 MtCO2e of greenhouse gas emissions over its 15-year lifespan, with 2.44 MtCO2e expected during the initial 5-year implementation period.
• The project aims to build the climate resilience of approximately 253,400 smallholder rice farmers, including a minimum of 115,000 female farmers.
• Thailand is the world's fourth-largest rice sector methane emitter, contributing 7% of global rice sector methane emissions.
• Climate modelling indicates that a temperature increase of up to 2°C by 2059 under RCP 4.5 in the assessed area will reduce rice yields by 17-20%.
• Alternate wetting and drying (AWD) is identified as a key technology that can reduce methane emissions by 29% with a single drainage period and up to 45% with multiple drainage periods.
• Laser land levelling (LLL) can increase water use efficiency by 12-40% and fertilizer use efficiency by 10-13%.
• The project will implement a grant-based incentive payment scheme for farmers in years 2 and 3, providing 7,000 baht for packages including LLL and 4,000 baht for those without LLL.
• The Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives (BAAC) will provide a Climate-Smart Loan (CSL) credit line of up to Euro 30 million with a 2% concessional interest rate and a 1-year grace period.
• The project will support the development of the T-VER Rice Scheme, a voluntary carbon market mechanism to generate carbon revenues for rice farmers.
• The Thai Agricultural Standard (TAS) for Sustainable Rice will be used as a national sustainability standard to help farmers access premium markets.
• The project will establish the Thai Rice Facility, a multi-institution coordination body to align financial instruments and policy efforts in the rice sector.
• The project targets 21 provinces across three regions: 12 in the Central Plains, 7 in the North-East, and 2 in the North.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2023). Thai Rice: Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming Thailand. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp214-giz-thailand_1.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Thai Rice: Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming Thailand. 2023. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp214-giz-thailand_1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Thai Rice: Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming Thailand |date=24 November 2023 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp214-giz-thailand_1.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2023thai, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Thai Rice: Strengthening Climate-Smart Rice Farming Thailand}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2023}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/fp214-giz-thailand_1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }