1.3.2 with regard to environmental aspects of rice free trading
First of all, it is not easy to define who could have an interest in local environment and which interest should go first. All people have a different interest in the environment from their point of view. Moreover, it is important to decide whether interests of which wildlife species should be included and of which species should not. (Molenaar & Santen, 2006).
The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture concentrate on rice grain, as it is the most common staple food of about three billion people but it only receive about thirty percent of the world’s developed freshwater resources. Also the rice fields sustain a unique ecosystem such as regulation of water and preservation of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Although, the rice field with flooded condition creates more greenhouse gas methane than other crop fields do, it makes less nitrous oxide and it tends to pollute groundwater less and use relatively little herbicides. The rice fields are also able to raise local groundwater tables, and it is likely to restore balance of salts in the ground water. (Bouman, Humphreys, Tuong & Barker, 2007)
Schmidt-Rohr, Mao and Olk, (2004) wrote that because long-term rice farming reduces nitrogen in soil and it has a negative effect on productivity, farmers need a technology to artificially supply the nitrogen into the rice field. Triple-cropped rice soil has more lignin and more nitrogen than single-cropped rice soil does. Alternative rice farms for international trading should have lignin and nitrogen rich soil, or a rice industry should have a method to supply it to soil. Therefore, they can produce more rice on a square of land and increase productivity and price competitiveness.
Transport and distribution of the water for agriculture could be a major environmental concern. Nauhou, Boubacar, M. Sc. A. (1999) proposed a hybrid pumping system of renewable solar and wind energy. It would solve problems of further transportation costs, and it can provide sustainable energy. However, this method requires more investment at first, and it is cost effective only using solar or wind energy alone.
Molenaar and Santen (2006) focused on environmental impacts of a dam. The World Bank funded a Maga dam project in Cameroon for a rice irrigation scheme, and it caused a loss of biodiversity. Because a dam limits water supply to wetland plains below, surface water at the wetland is becoming smaller. To control rice cultivation there, the dam has taken a habitat for fish, livestock and wild animals.
Lu, Wu, Pang and Li (2007) mention plastic film mulching cultivation that is a high-efficiency and water-saving technique developed in many regions of China from basin to hilly regions. The technology has different effects at different regions, depending on local eco-system and plastic film cultivation types. This would increase rice production but more experiments can improve the technology to be practical.
Wassmann, Hien, Hoanh and Tuong (2004) talked about rice farming in Vietnam, which is the third largest rice exporter. Vietnam has the average three cropping seasons, and some places have a possibility of harvesting rice four times in a year. A half of Vietnamese rice is produced in Mekong Delta where people can grow only rice. However, the Mekong Delta is often affected by Mekong Basin floods and sea level changes, so artificial water control system would increase rice cropping. This system might affect natural biodiversity at the Mekong Delta.
The rice field causes methane and nitrous oxide, which are greenhouse gases. However, rice-rice cropping farms produce less greenhouse gas than rice-wheat farms do. Water management, temperature regime and fertilizer components change the potential of the rice field as a source of greenhouse gas. An upland rice field creates less greenhouse gas than flooded rice field does, but it is less productive. In the case of flooded rice field, organic matters of soil are hardly changed, compared to other crop field. The rice field is relatively stable and suitable for multi-harvesting in a year. Then, because people have tilled the rice field for years ago, further increase of production tend to have few impacts on environment. (Wassmann, Neue, Ladha & Aulakh, 2003)
Distance between scholarly researchers and rural farmers may cause an inappropriate conclusion of the research. (Levins, 2006).
First of all, it is not easy to define who could have an interest in local environment and which interest should go first. All people have a different interest in the environment from their point of view. Moreover, it is important to decide whether interests of which wildlife species should be included and of which species should not. (Molenaar & Santen, 2006).
The Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture concentrate on rice grain, as it is the most common staple food of about three billion people but it only receive about thirty percent of the world’s developed freshwater resources. Also the rice fields sustain a unique ecosystem such as regulation of water and preservation of aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity. Although, the rice field with flooded condition creates more greenhouse gas methane than other crop fields do, it makes less nitrous oxide and it tends to pollute groundwater less and use relatively little herbicides. The rice fields are also able to raise local groundwater tables, and it is likely to restore balance of salts in the ground water. (Bouman, Humphreys, Tuong & Barker, 2007)
Schmidt-Rohr, Mao and Olk, (2004) wrote that because long-term rice farming reduces nitrogen in soil and it has a negative effect on productivity, farmers need a technology to artificially supply the nitrogen into the rice field. Triple-cropped rice soil has more lignin and more nitrogen than single-cropped rice soil does. Alternative rice farms for international trading should have lignin and nitrogen rich soil, or a rice industry should have a method to supply it to soil. Therefore, they can produce more rice on a square of land and increase productivity and price competitiveness.
Transport and distribution of the water for agriculture could be a major environmental concern. Nauhou, Boubacar, M. Sc. A. (1999) proposed a hybrid pumping system of renewable solar and wind energy. It would solve problems of further transportation costs, and it can provide sustainable energy. However, this method requires more investment at first, and it is cost effective only using solar or wind energy alone.
Molenaar and Santen (2006) focused on environmental impacts of a dam. The World Bank funded a Maga dam project in Cameroon for a rice irrigation scheme, and it caused a loss of biodiversity. Because a dam limits water supply to wetland plains below, surface water at the wetland is becoming smaller. To control rice cultivation there, the dam has taken a habitat for fish, livestock and wild animals.
Lu, Wu, Pang and Li (2007) mention plastic film mulching cultivation that is a high-efficiency and water-saving technique developed in many regions of China from basin to hilly regions. The technology has different effects at different regions, depending on local eco-system and plastic film cultivation types. This would increase rice production but more experiments can improve the technology to be practical.
Wassmann, Hien, Hoanh and Tuong (2004) talked about rice farming in Vietnam, which is the third largest rice exporter. Vietnam has the average three cropping seasons, and some places have a possibility of harvesting rice four times in a year. A half of Vietnamese rice is produced in Mekong Delta where people can grow only rice. However, the Mekong Delta is often affected by Mekong Basin floods and sea level changes, so artificial water control system would increase rice cropping. This system might affect natural biodiversity at the Mekong Delta.
The rice field causes methane and nitrous oxide, which are greenhouse gases. However, rice-rice cropping farms produce less greenhouse gas than rice-wheat farms do. Water management, temperature regime and fertilizer components change the potential of the rice field as a source of greenhouse gas. An upland rice field creates less greenhouse gas than flooded rice field does, but it is less productive. In the case of flooded rice field, organic matters of soil are hardly changed, compared to other crop field. The rice field is relatively stable and suitable for multi-harvesting in a year. Then, because people have tilled the rice field for years ago, further increase of production tend to have few impacts on environment. (Wassmann, Neue, Ladha & Aulakh, 2003)
Distance between scholarly researchers and rural farmers may cause an inappropriate conclusion of the research. (Levins, 2006).