January 19, 2025

27 minutes

Available for over a year

How farmers and scientists in eastern India are using ancient rice seeds to fight flooding, increasing soil salinity and drought.

The BBC’s William Kremer tells Graihagh Jackson about his visit to the Sundarbans in West Bengal, where cyclones and rising sea levels have devastated crops, and meets the rice growers drawing on the skills of their forefathers, to feed their families. Graihagh also gets a global overview from Dr Rafal Gutaker, rice expert at Kew Gardens, London.

And if you'd like to hear more about rice, the BBC World Service's Food Chain programme has just made a show about the climate impacts of the crop. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct5xp0

Reporter in India: William Kremer

Production Team: Diane Richardson, Graihagh Jackson, Octavia Woodward

Sound Mix: Neil Churchill and Tom Brignell

Editor: Simon Watts

If you have a question for the team, email: [email protected] or WhatsApp: +44 8000 321 721