Data-driven strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions intensity while sustaining global rice production

Greenhouse gas emissions intensity (GHGI, carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per unit grain yield) is a holistic metric to measure agricultural productivity and environmental risks. However, the potential for GHGI mitigation in global rice fields, considering diverse management practices and their spatial patterns, remains poorly understood. Here, using a data-driven approach, we scaled site-level observations to the global grid to quantify GHGI responses to various management practices. Global assessment demonstrated that four out of ten key management practices, including enhanced efficiency fertilizer, deep fertilization, biochar amendment, and non-continuous irrigation, reduced GHGI by 20.7–54.5 % while boosting rice yield by 3.3–10.6 %. These benefits were equivalent to carbon dioxide removal of 156.9–412.3 million tons and additional rice production of 25.8–81.5 million tons. Our findings identify key strategies that simultaneously reduce GHGI and maintain rice yield, highlighting the critical role and vast potential of sustainable solutions in supporting climate-smart rice production.