rice paddies– tag –

Plastic-coated fertilizers helped Japanese farmers reduce physically demanding summer work and manage larger areas with fewer people. But the empty plastic shells can leave rice paddies and reach the sea. Why did Japanese rice farming become dependent on this technology?

Plastic-coated fertilizers reduce labor for rice farmers, but their empty shells can escape from paddies and travel through rivers to the sea. Can plastic-free fertilizers, drones, and biodegradable materials protect the environment without increasing farmers’ workloads?