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The East Asia Rice Working Group
( EARWG ) is a loose network of farmer organizations and non-government organizations from developing countries in the region who are diversely involved in community-based interventions and national and regional policy advocacy on development concerns related to RICE.
In October 2002, the EARWG formally banded together and agreed to work on research and advocacy on rice issues, capacity building among small farmers and network members, act as resource and information center, and provide platform for engaging discussion on issues that affect small rice farmers.
Since then, the EARWG has focused its attention on three (3) key issues that currently face the rice sector, namely: trade, food security and intellectual property rights. These 3 areas served as the core issues of the research studies undertaken by some members of the EARWG in 2002, which were presented during the network’s meeting in Thailand and later served as the guiding framework for the plans and activities of the network.
Sometime in July 2003, the EARWG reached a consensus to focus the campaign on Rice Seeds Trade since it essentially captures the common interests of the network partners. The EARWG recognized the imperative of understanding the dynamics of rice trade in order to prevent farmers from different countries in the region being pitted against each other and appreciate more who really benefits from the current trends in rice trade. |
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Documentation of Selected Adaptation
Strategies to Climate Change in Rice Cultivation
Anni Mitin, Ph. D.
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This paper highlights published cases related to various climatic conditions that have impacts on rice cultivation practices. Due to the needs to continue rice farming, whether for traditional, cultural or economic reasons, rice farmers in Asia resorted to various adaptation practices that might have deviated from their common practices. This includes the introduction of modern technologies or new rice varieties that promised to withstand the effects of adverse climatic conditions.
There are various climate changes that are commonly addressed. These include heavy monsoon rains, droughts, forest fire, rising sea level, temperature increase, intense rainfall, typhoons, frequent of extreme weather variability, floods, high salinity, warmer winter and cooler summers, reduced precipitation, prolong cold spell, inappropriate rain, soil erosion and dry spell. This research studied the impacts of droughts, floods, and cold spells on rice production in Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Various adaptation strategies were adopted by farmers to address the effects of climate change. These strategies were undertaken, either voluntarily or by accepting recommendations given by agricultural experts and institutions that ostensibly will lead to better rice production or discontinue rice farming and shift to other economic activities.
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