A second Green Revolution is sorely needed. Evidence shows that the productivity gains from the first Green Revolution will begin to plateau amid accumulated environmental problems, as the effects of climate change and the expansion into marginal lands take their toll. For instance, a well cited study done by the International Rice Research Institute found that heat stress can cause significant reductions in rice production quantity in South and Southeast Asia.

Warmer night temperatures have a negative effect on rice yield. A +1°C increase above the critical temperature (more than 24°C) may lead to a 10 per cent reduction in both grain yield and biomass. To counter this trend new technologies, credit and sustainable agricultural practices must be effectively disseminated among farmers for productivity gains to occur.

… Stella Liu is a visiting US Fulbright Research Fellow at the Centre for Non-Traditional Security (NTS) Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. This is part of a series on the World Agricultural Forum 2017.