Turning Methane-Intensive Rice Farming into a Climate Action Model

CPCRT’s work was anchored in CP Group’s Net Zero ambition, including its baseline year and emissions tracking across Scope 1, Scope 2 and relevant Scope 3 categories. The initiative helped translate these corporate climate targets into practical action at supply-chain level, particularly in upstream agricultural activities. 

In 2025, CPCRT developed sustainable agriculture guidelines aligned with CP Group’s climate strategy and policies. To ensure the guidelines were technically robust and applicable in real farming conditions, the company worked with academic partners on key areas of expertise: King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi supported greenhouse gas data collection and methodology; Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna advised on rice varieties and cultivation practices; and Kasetsart University contributed expertise on regenerative agriculture and soil organic matter improvement. 

These partnerships helped CPCRT identify which practices could credibly reduce emissions, strengthen emissions tracking and reporting, and support practical reduction measures across the rice supply chain.

Before introducing new practices, CPCRT worked through community leaders to convene farmer groups and carried out area-specific assessments to determine which interventions were feasible in each location. These assessments considered factors such as irrigation conditions, soil characteristics and local farming realities, helping the company decide where AWD could be applied and where other low- carbon practices were more appropriate.

The initiative was first tested to evaluate practicality and farmer acceptance. In locations with suitable water control, CPCRT introduced Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), a rice cultivation technique that replaces continuous flooding with controlled drying periods while maintaining the water levels needed at key stages of the crop cycle. This helped reduce methane emissions while maintaining rice yield and quality. The pilot approach allowed the company to test implementation on the ground before expanding the programme.

Where irrigation conditions made AWD difficult, CPCRT promoted other practices to reduce emissions and improve resilience. These included improved fertiliser management, soil analysis, soil organic carbon enhancement and other regenerative agriculture techniques. This flexible approach helped ensure that farmers in different regions could still participate in the programme using methods suited to their context.

Farmer support was built from the start. CPCRT provided continuous on-site training on soil analysis, fertiliser and agricultural chemical use, water management and soil sampling. CPCRT field teams conducted regular field visits to help farmers apply the practices correctly, solve problems early and build confidence in the new approach. This close field-level engagement was essential to turning technical guidance into day-to-day farming practice.

To strengthen implementation, CPCRT established monitoring mechanisms to track guideline execution, soil conditions, yields and overall programme performance. By integrating data from existing systems and adding validation and third-party verification processes, the company improved supplier-level visibility and created a feedback loop to refine the approach over time.

To support farmer uptake, suppliers participating in the programme also received a price premium of THB 250 (Thai Baht) per tonne for low-carbon rice. This linked climate action with a practical business incentive and helped reinforce farmer participation.

To strengthen the low-carbon model across the value chain, CPCRT also introduced improvements at the processing stage, including 100% recycled packaging with lower emissions than conventional PET and nylon packaging. This helped extend emissions reduction efforts beyond cultivation.

CPCRT found that adoption depends on trust, continuous engagement and practical support. Farmers are more willing to change when they understand the benefits and receive support in the field.

Testing practices in real farming conditions helped CPCRT identify what worked, adapt the model locally and scale with more confidence.

CPCRT learned that investing earlier in digital data collection and monitoring would have improved efficiency and verification readiness.