Rice, CO₂, and the Climate Story the Media Keep Missing
24 hours ago Anthony Watts 26 Comments
This Phys.org article “Global rice production has nearly doubled over 50 years despite climate change” reports good news that is couched in incredulity. The authors are correct to highlight this remarkable success story and the data show that humanity has become dramatically better at feeding itself over the past half century, even as atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations increased and the climate modestly warmed. What the authors miss, however, is the obvious conclusion staring them in the face: rising CO₂ and warmer temperatures have likely been part of the reason for that success.
For decades, the public has been told that climate change threatens global food production. Yet this new study from researchers at the University of Illinois reveals a striking reality: global rice production nearly doubled from the 1960s to the 2010s. That is not a story of agricultural collapse. It is a story of extraordinary human success.
The researchers conclude that improved management practices, including expanded irrigation, increased fertilizer use, and better farming techniques, were the primary drivers of rising rice production. They are almost certainly right. Modern agriculture has become vastly more productive thanks to advances in technology, genetics, infrastructure, and agronomy.
But there is another important factor highlighted in the study that deserves far more attention. The researchers acknowledge that rising atmospheric carbon dioxide was “the primary environmental factor contributing to increased rice production by enhancing photosynthesis and improving water-use efficiency.”
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/06/17/rice-co%e2%82%82-and-the-climate-story-the-media-keep-missing/
