Rice
On global average, producing 1 kg of Rice emits about 4.45 kg CO₂e, uses 2.8 m² of land and withdraws 2,248 litres of fresh water.
- Greenhouse gas emissions4.45kg CO₂e per kgRank 12 of 38
- Land use2.8m² per kgRank 21 of 38
- Freshwater withdrawals2,248litres per kgRank 6 of 38
per kilogram, global average
Compared with other foods
Greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram of food (kg CO₂e).
- Beef (beef herd)99.5
- Cheese23.9
- Poultry9.87
- Rice4.45
- Tofu3.16
- Beans, lentils & other pulses1.79
Per kilogram, Rice emits 2.5 times as much as Beans, lentils & other pulses.
In everyday terms
26 km
The emissions from 1 kg of Rice are about the same as driving 26 km in an average petrol car.
Lower-impact alternatives
Foods that can take a similar place on your plate, with a smaller climate footprint.
More food footprints
Method and data
Footprints vary between farms and countries, but the difference between types of food is usually far larger than the difference between producers of the same food.
Values are global averages from Poore & Nemecek (2018), who compiled data from about 38,700 farms in 119 countries, as published by Our World in Data. Emissions include land-use change, farming, processing, transport, packaging and retail. Real products vary by farm and region; use these figures to compare food types, not individual brands.