Global methane emissions from rice cultivation – improved estimation, regional disparities and trade-adjusted perspectives using EDGAR

Rice cultivation is a major source of methane, a potent greenhouse gas with significant climate implications. Official inventories report emissions based on domestic production, often overlooking the role of international trade in redistributing methane. Major exporters shift a substantial portion of emissions to consumers via trade. We present the first global assessment of consumption-based methane emissions from rice, which shows that trade substantially reshapes the geographic distribution of responsibility with nearly 9% of methane emissions redistributed in 2023. Regions previously considered low-emitting-including Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Africa-now carry a larger consumption-based methane footprint, with the EU27 nearly doubling its production-based emissions, Africa showing the largest divergence among continents, and the Middle East’s footprint driven almost entirely by imports. To ensure effective mitigation, policy frameworks should integrate trade-adjusted methane estimates so that commitments such as the Global Methane Pledge reflect the full lifecycle of rice production and consumption.