41 images Created 2 Aug 2023
The rice that will come
Italy produces 52% of all European rice, but the total cultivated hectares have decreased from 218,000 in 2022 to 210,000 in 2023, reaching a three-decade
low in production, continuing a downward trend since 2020. The drought of the previous season evidently prompted some farmers to abandon rice cultivation, but the issue is not solely related to drought.
It's a matter of choices and perspective. On one hand, the land is exploited to maximize yield and production, while on the other hand, there is an awareness that if we don't prioritize the land and the management of water as a common resource, in the long run, there may be no harvest for anyone.
In 2022, the "water war" erupted in Piedmont, as defined by the farmers themselves, due to an unprecedented drought. After 16 months of scarcity,
May 2023 saw the return to reassuring water levels, but the problem is far from being resolved. Data on the alternation between periods of drought
and heavy precipitation, along with the increase in average temperatures, suggest the ongoing process of "tropicalization" and the future landscape
of the Po Valley.
Actually, the landscape has already changed since many farmers have chosen to adopt the "dry seeding" method, which does not involve field
irrigation in the early months of the season and requires less labor. However, it requires water in June, the time of greatest need for other crops as
well, and it further lowers the water table, reducing the overall availability of the "rice ecosystem."
The individual choice of farmers to adopt this method is understandable, but it is detrimental and unsustainable in the long term for the entire sector
and the water management system.
The ongoing change is irreversible, and solutions are needed. In the dry land surrounding the Ente Nazionale Risi, stand out some rows of emerald
green seedlings, a result of genetic research aimed at identifying increasingly high-performing and drought-resistant species.
The issue is not just climatic but also a matter of a comprehensive vision. The Polyculturae Association in Rovasenda believes that we must work
with and for nature, not against it. Research and experimentation are also carried out here: certification of ancient seeds, pachamatura, and agroforestry.
The goal is to recover lost biodiversity and remain competitive while renouncing any herbicides and insecticides. And to teach citizens and
other producers that it is possible to change perspective.
This is a story of water, land, and rice, but above all, it is a story of men and women grappling with a sudden, albeit predicted, change.
low in production, continuing a downward trend since 2020. The drought of the previous season evidently prompted some farmers to abandon rice cultivation, but the issue is not solely related to drought.
It's a matter of choices and perspective. On one hand, the land is exploited to maximize yield and production, while on the other hand, there is an awareness that if we don't prioritize the land and the management of water as a common resource, in the long run, there may be no harvest for anyone.
In 2022, the "water war" erupted in Piedmont, as defined by the farmers themselves, due to an unprecedented drought. After 16 months of scarcity,
May 2023 saw the return to reassuring water levels, but the problem is far from being resolved. Data on the alternation between periods of drought
and heavy precipitation, along with the increase in average temperatures, suggest the ongoing process of "tropicalization" and the future landscape
of the Po Valley.
Actually, the landscape has already changed since many farmers have chosen to adopt the "dry seeding" method, which does not involve field
irrigation in the early months of the season and requires less labor. However, it requires water in June, the time of greatest need for other crops as
well, and it further lowers the water table, reducing the overall availability of the "rice ecosystem."
The individual choice of farmers to adopt this method is understandable, but it is detrimental and unsustainable in the long term for the entire sector
and the water management system.
The ongoing change is irreversible, and solutions are needed. In the dry land surrounding the Ente Nazionale Risi, stand out some rows of emerald
green seedlings, a result of genetic research aimed at identifying increasingly high-performing and drought-resistant species.
The issue is not just climatic but also a matter of a comprehensive vision. The Polyculturae Association in Rovasenda believes that we must work
with and for nature, not against it. Research and experimentation are also carried out here: certification of ancient seeds, pachamatura, and agroforestry.
The goal is to recover lost biodiversity and remain competitive while renouncing any herbicides and insecticides. And to teach citizens and
other producers that it is possible to change perspective.
This is a story of water, land, and rice, but above all, it is a story of men and women grappling with a sudden, albeit predicted, change.
