INTERNATIONALLY • Climate Change Action • Sustainable Agriculture and Livelihoods
Building a Scalable Low-Emission Rice Model in Majalengka, West Java
Developing a practical model for sustained AWD adoption across smallholder rice farms in West Java.
Rice is central to Indonesia’s food system and supports the livelihoods of millions of farmers. It is also a significant source of agricultural emissions, accounting for approximately 25% of Indonesia’s agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. As Java produces more than half of Indonesia’s rice, it is an important region for advancing cultivation practices that reduce emissions while maintaining farmer productivity.
Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) offers a practical alternative. Instead of keeping rice fields continuously flooded, farmers allow water levels to fall to a safe threshold before re-irrigating. This can reduce methane emissions and water use without compromising yields. While AWD’s technical potential is well established, its impact depends on whether farmers can apply it consistently under real farming conditions.
Edufarmers’ 2025 trial in Klaten, Central Java, provided an initial proof of concept. Compared with conventional flooding, the AWD plots recorded a 7.9% higher yield, a 13.3% lower water footprint and an estimated 48% reduction in methane emissions. The next step is to develop an approach that smallholder farmers can adopt and sustain.
To support this transition, Quantedge Advancement Initiative is funding Edufarmers International Foundation to implement a two-year AWD programme across 60 villages in Majalengka, West Java. It builds on Edufarmers’ Bertani model, which works through farmer leaders, demonstration plots and practical training. The programme will strengthen this approach with dedicated field facilitation and digital agronomic support, while testing what helps farmers adopt AWD and continue using it beyond the pilot.
Our support focuses on four areas:
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Pioneer Farmer training: Recruit and train influential farmer-group leaders as Pioneer Farmers to support AWD adoption within their communities.
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Demonstration plots and Farmer Field Schools: Establish AWD demonstration plots across 60 villages and provide practical, peer-based training for neighbouring farmers.
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Ongoing farmer support: Provide field facilitation and digital agronomic guidance throughout the planting seasons.
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Evidence and replication: Track adoption, yields, farmer income and methane reductions, and develop an implementation playbook for wider adoption.
Our partnership with Edufarmers reflects QAI’s focus on moving promising agricultural practices towards sustained adoption. By combining local evidence, peer learning, agronomic support and systematic measurement, the programme aims to develop a practical model that could inform AWD adoption in other Indonesian rice-growing districts with comparable irrigation conditions.