Italian rice farmer restores wetlands to fight climate change
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In the Po Valley of Italy, between Milan and Turin, farmer Alice Cerutti is restoring wetlands on her rice farm to increase biodiversity and combat the effects of heat and drought.
Cerutti inherited Cascina Oschina in 2012 and has since returned one-third of her land to its natural state, planting over 10,000 native trees and creating habitats for rare birds and insects.
She grows resilient varieties of rice, including Carnaroli Classico and Arborio Classico, using organic fertilizers and allowing sheep to graze between harvests to enrich the soil. Italy is a major European rice producer, but the industry faces challenges from Asian imports, rising costs, and climate change. The agricultural syndicate Coldiretti estimates that heat could cause a 25 percent loss in rice production this year.
While some farmers are switching to dry seeding to conserve water, agronomist Giovanni Molina warns this practice risks turning fertile plains into deserts, as submerged rice paddies help recharge underground aquifers. Cerutti sells her rice to buyers in the United Kingdom, Dubai, and the United States. She also supplements her income by hosting educational programs and tourists on her farm, which is a certified protected area within the European Union.
She observed the return of the black-tailed godwit, a wading bird, to her wetlands, the only known nesting site in Italy, and hopes to inspire other farmers to prioritize biodiversity.
