- Regenerative agriculture must deliver economic value, not just environmental benefits
- Future rice innovation will be ‘regenerative by design’
- Vietnam’s low-emissions rice programme shows sustainability and productivity can go hand in hand
In a keynote speech on regenerative agriculture at the World Agri-Food Innovation (WAFI) Conference, held in Pinggu, Beijing, from 17 to 19 September, Dr Yvonne Pinto highlighted the one-million-hectare programme as a major example of regenerative agriculture in practice.
“We need more than just promising technologies. We need the evidence of what works over time… When we move to regenerative, we need to be thinking about the co-benefits to farmers that are gained as a result of lower input use. And the one-million-hectare high-quality, low-emission rice programme in Vietnam is really helping us to understand how to do that,” said Pinto.
Pinto highlighted that the programme has helped farmers achieve a 45% reduction in seed use, a 30% reduction in fertiliser use and water savings of 20%, while increasing yields by 12%.
“That’s approximately $230 in additional profit per hectare for farmers, and two to four tonnes less carbon dioxide equivalent per hectare of the crop.”
Pinto also noted strong stakeholder participation in the programme, with more than 1,100 cooperatives and 210 enterprises having joined the initiative, while 600 cooperatives have signed contracts with participating enterprises.
Additionally, 70% of post-harvest rice straw is now being collected for reuse and repurposing rather than being wasted.
Profits, not promises
The programme’s results are particularly notable because farmer adoption has often been cited as one of the biggest obstacles to scaling regenerative agriculture.
Pinto cited research conducted among approximately 1,500 rice farmers in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, which demonstrated that awareness of improved agricultural practices does not automatically lead to adoption.
“What works in one environment will not work in another, and a practice may be environmentally beneficial in one environment but difficult to adopt if it increases things like labour or risk, or offers no clear economic returns,” said Pinto.
She added that the role of research institutions and their partners was to identify what works in context and verify whether the solutions deliver meaningful results.
“Our task is not simply to prescribe one model of regeneration; it’s to provide farmers, governments, investors and value chain partners with the science, the choices and the support needed to identify what works where, and to measure whether it delivers.”
‘Regenerative by design’
In addition, Pinto underscored the importance of crop breeding in regenerative agriculture.
She argued that the next phase of progress in rice production will be measured not only by volumes but also by how effective the systems are at withstanding climate pressures and supporting farmers’ livelihoods.
“The next chapter of this mission is not simply another rice variety or another production technology. It’s to help redefine what a high-performing, sustainable and regenerative system can be that’s practical, measurable and scalable.”
This is reshaping breeding priorities.
“If we take rice as a crop, it’s made extraordinary gains in productivity, but the next phase of progress cannot be measured in tonnes,” said Pinto.
“We need varieties that are not only high yielding but suitable for water-saving systems, direct seeding to reduce the amount of water used, changing climates and diverse production environments.”
Pinto suggested that a “regenerative by design” approach must be taken moving forward, incorporating broader farming-system considerations into varietal development.
“When I say regenerative by design, it is breeding and developing varieties with the wider farming system in mind, including the water regime and looking at soil, climate, labour, value chain and environmental objectives together.”
‘It’s all interconnected’
The remarks come as agriculture faces mounting pressure to feed a growing population while reducing its environmental footprint.
According to Pinto, around 1.6 billion hectares of land globally have been degraded, more than 60% of it linked to agriculture, while agri-food systems account for about 32% of human-caused greenhouse gas emissions.
“At the same time, the world may need to produce approximately 50% more food and fibre by 2050 than it did in 2012. Yet in 2023, between 713 million and 757 million people remained undernourished.
“These pressures are all interconnected. Degraded soils reduce productivity; water scarcity increases risk; poor nutrient management affects profitability and the environment; and climate change intensifies pests, diseases and extreme weather,” she said.
Against this backdrop, regenerative agriculture is imperative for improving the health, resilience and performance of farming systems.
“Regenerative agriculture is not a substitute for food production, but an effort to strengthen the natural systems that production depends upon, while protecting productivity, farming incomes, and food security,” said Pinto.
Pinto concluded: “Regenerative agriculture is not about choosing between food security and environmental sustainability. Over the long term, we cannot secure one without strengthening the other.”
