A Cleaner World Could Start in a Rice Field | Jim Whitaker and Jessica Whitaker Allen | TED

翻译人员: Chen Xuan 校对人员: Jacky He

Jim Whitaker: I grew up on a family farm.

吉姆·惠特克 (Jim Whitaker)： 我在家庭农场长大。

My family's been farming for 130 years in southeast Arkansas,

我的家族在阿肯色州东南部 耕种了 130 年，

and I'm a fifth generation farmer.

我是第五代农民。

We raise cotton, rice, corn and soybeans,

我们种植棉花、大米、玉米和大豆，

along with my brother Sam,

和我的兄弟山姆还有亲戚们一起，

our extended families

and a lot of great coworkers, could not do it without them.

以及许多优秀的同事， 没有他们我们走不到今天。

So when I was 16 years old,

16 岁那年的一天，我放学回家。

I came home from school one day.

It was my dad's birthday.

那是我爸的生日。 三天后是我的生日。

My birthday was three days later.

I expected in some type of party event.

我期待着某种庆祝活动。

But my dad had just went through the historic 1980 drought,

但是我爸刚经历了 1980 年历史性的干旱，

and when I got home that day, my mom was crying,

那天我回到家时，我妈妈在哭，

my dad was trying to console her,

我爸试图安慰着她，

and there's a foreclosure letter on the bar.

厨房台面上有一封止赎信。

We thought we were going to lose the family farm

我们以为我们会失去 家族里传承几代的农场。

that we had had in our family for generations.

Luckily, we did not lose the farm,

幸运的是，我们没有失去农场，

but he still struggled financially.

但财务状况仍然很艰难。

When I was 22 years old, after a little time in the army,

我 22 岁的时候，在军队 服役了一段时间后，

I decided I was going to start farming.

我决定要开始从事农业。

So my brother and I rented a farm.

于是我和我的兄弟租了一个农场。

My dad couldn't help us, he didn't have the finances.

我爸没有财力帮助我们，

He could not help us get started.

没办法助我们一臂之力。

Farming is very capital-intensive business.

农业是一类重资本型产业。

And so we got an FHA beginning farmer loan.

我们拿到了联邦住房管理局的 初始农民贷款。

And let me tell you something about renting a farm

让我告诉你一些 22 岁年轻人 租借农场会发生的事情。

when you're 22 years old.

No one rents you a farm unless no one else wants to rent it.

那就是没有人会优先把农场租给你。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

It was a big piece of land, it was cash rent.

那是很大一片土地，租金不少。

I mean, the stakes were set.

也意味着，风险在这儿。

We were doomed to fail.

我们很可能失败。

And we weren't focused on environmental sustainability back then.

而当时我们并不关心环保可持续性。

We were focused on economic sustainability.

我们只关心经济可行性。

How do we make higher yield, how do we use less fertilizer?

我们如何提高产量， 如何减少肥料的使用？

How do we get to the next year and feed our family?

我们如何养家糊口， 保证农场存活到明年？

And ...

It happens that economic and environmental sustainability go hand in hand

碰巧的是，经济和环境的可持续性与 社会的可持续性是密切相关的。

along with social sustainability.

As we used less fertilizer, used less water,

随着肥料与用水量的减少，

our yields started going up.

产量开始上升。

It was just a great thing.

这是件很棒的事情。

So one of the first things we did on our rice fields,

我们在稻田里做的第一件事

we adopted a technique that's a little different.

便是采用一种略微独特的技术。

We leveled our fields completely flat.

我们把田地完全平整。

This is called zero-grade.

我们称之为零坡度。

Rice all over the world is grown in a flooded environment.

世界各地的水稻都是 在淹水的水田中种植的。

Everywhere.

任何地方。

And most people use the natural contour of the Earth

大多数人利用土地的自然坡度

to cascade the water down and let the water flow downhill.

引导水流逐层向下流动。

And there are always, we call it continuous flood.

我们称其为持续性淹水。

They continuously put water on their fields.

这种方法持续地将水引入田地。

And we leveled ours flat with a perimeter road.

而我们将田地平整， 又在外围修建了一条沟渠。

And what that perimeter road lets us do is capture rainfall.

这条沟渠帮助我们捕捉降雨。

So we actually pump less water, we are able to use less water,

因此，实际上我们减少了抽水量， 从而减少了用水量，

we have less runoff, less erosion, less nutrients leaving our field.

我们的水流更少，侵蚀下降， 流失的养分变少。

Nothing leaves our field unless we want it to.

我们是封闭性的地皮。

So I get around farmers

我还和其他农民沟通，

and I tell them about potential carbon credits and other things,

告诉他们一些 碳信用额度之类的事情。

and our family was lucky,

我们家很幸运，

we were one of the first ever in the world

在 2016 年，我们是世界上最早

to sell agricultural carbon credits in 2016 to Microsoft using this protocol

向微软出售农业 碳信用额度的农场之一，

that we've designed on rice.

用的就是我们在水稻上设定的协议。

And I got that --

我的成功——

Let me just back up a little bit and tell you how I got that.

我来为你们分享成功的经验。

I didn't get that on my own.

不仅仅是靠我自己。

I met two very instrumental people.

我遇到了两个非常重要的人。

One was Dr. Merle Anders.

其中一位是梅尔·安德斯博士 （Dr. Merle Anders）。

He is the world-renowned greenhouse gas expert,

他是世界知名的温室气体专家，

and he started mentoring me.

他开始指导我。

The other was a buyer from Mars Foods,

另一位是玛氏食品的采购员，

and we were in a leadership class together.

我们上同样的领导力课程。

And we started talking and we started thinking about sustainability.

我们交谈起来， 谈到可持续发展这件事。

So that's how my journey started.

我的旅程就是这样开始的。

But you know, when I tell other farmers

但当我告诉其他农民

that they could potentially sell carbon credit,

他们或许可以出售碳信用额度，

they could help companies reduce their scope 3 emissions,

可以帮助公司减少三阶排放，

they could save money,

可以节省开支，

possibly enroll in environmental climate-smart practices

可以加入政府组织的 气候适应的环境行动，

for the government,

they say, "I'm just trying to get by."

他们说：“我只是在维持生计。”

Farming is a generational business.

农业是一项世代相传的生意。

People have been doing things, passed down father to son, father to son.

工作一成不变， 技能是父子间传承下去，

And you'll see, father to daughter, here in a minute.

也可以是父女。

It's passed down generationally,

这是代代相传的，

and we only get one chance a year to make a mistake.

每年没多少犯错的余地。

So when you tell people about doing things that are outside their norm,

所以，当你提议做一些 偏离传统的事情时，

it scares the heck out of them.

人们会很担心。

So I found a different way of talking to them about it.

所以我换了种方式跟他们交流。

I say, "Well, you know, you could save 40 to 50 dollars

我说：“行，你可以节省 四五十美元的抽水成本。

on your pumping cost.

You could sell a carbon credit.

你可以出售碳信用额度。

You could get paid more by a company for doing the right thing."

你还可能会因为做了正确的事 而从公司那里获得更多的报酬。”

This starts to pique their interest.

这下他们就有兴趣了。

Risk mitigation is how we're going to get farmers involved.

我们让农民参与的方式是降低风险。

We are a for-profit industry,

我们做的是营利性行业，

so they're not going to do anything that they think hurts their yields.

所以人们不会做任何 降低收成的事。

So Jessica,

Jessica 上了大学，

went to college, got a business degree, a sustainability minor,

获得商业学位， 和可持续发展证书，

went on to get her MBA, emphasis on finance.

又去读了工商管理硕士，主修金融。

Now she's back helping me.

她现在回家做我的帮手。

Not all the time on the family farm.

不是一直在我们家的农场。

She works for Ducks Unlimited,

她在 Ducks Unlimited 工作，

one of the most aggressive conservationists in the rice industry.

这是水稻产业里 最强势的环境保护组织之一。

They are an awesome partner to work with.

他们是很棒的合作伙伴。

She's back working with Ducks Unlimited,

杰西卡在 Ducks Unlimited 工作，

but she's been helping me with protocols and data collection.

但她同时一直在帮助我 处理协议和数据收集。

One of the things that I wanted to figure out was,

我想理解几件事：

number one: What’s important?

首先。重点是什么？

How are we going to quantify it?

我们怎么将其量化？

And then how are we going to sell that data?

之后，我们怎么出售此数据？

Because everyone here wants to know, "Can we have your data?"

因为许多人想知道： “可以把数据给我们吗？”

No, you can't.

不太行。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

Anyway, so we're trying to figure out how to quantify that.

总之，我们正在努力弄清楚 如何量化这一点。

So we established what is called the Smart Rice protocol.

我们创建了“智慧水稻协议”。

We partner with a global seed company, RiceTec,

我们与一家全球种子公司 RiceTec 合作，

and we have one of the first ever --

并且推出我们有史以来第一批——

there's a couple more --

和另外几批——

I promise you it's the most rigorous,

我向你保证，标准非常严格，

but we have one of the first ever third-party verified,

这是有史以来第一批 第三方认证的

sustainable rice packages that hit the market a few months ago,

商业可持续大米， 在几个月前进入市场，

and we’re trying to get in retail locations.

并且我们正努力开展零售。

And then we’re also helping some major end users with their scope 3.

我们还在帮助一些 核心客户减少三阶排放。

And I think that's going to be the future.

我认为那会是水稻种植的未来。

But Jessica's role in growing rice is much different than mine,

而杰西卡水稻种植方面 扮演了与我不同的角色。

and she's part of the next generation to come take over our family farm.

她被纳入运营我们 家庭农场的下一代团队。

(Applause)

（掌声）

Jessica Whitaker Allen: I'm a sixth generation farmer.

杰西卡·惠特克·艾伦 (Jessica Whitaker Allen)：我是第六代农民。

Growing up, I remember running around outside barefoot,

我记得在童年， 赤脚在外面跑来跑去，

catching as many snakes, turtles, frogs as possible,

抓到许多蛇、乌龟和青蛙，

and then trying to convince my parents to let me keep them inside as pets.

然后试图说服父母 把它们当作宠物养着。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Eventually, my dad bought me an aquarium,

最终，我爸给我买了一个水族箱，

and we had fun with that for a little while inside

最初还蛮有趣，

until a few of the snakes got lost in our house

直到几条蛇在我们家里失踪了，

and we never found them.

我们没发现它们。

Sorry.

对不起。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

We live and work in southeast Arkansas.

我们家在阿肯色州东南部，

McGehee, specifically.

阿肯色州麦吉市。

Our town has 4,000 residents and one stoplight.

我们这个镇有 4,000 名 居民和一个红绿灯。

The nearest airport, Starbucks, shopping mall, Whole Foods,

距离我们最近的机场、星巴克、 购物中心、全食超市，

is two hours away in any direction.

都在两个小时车程以外。

Without places like this and farmers like us,

但不是这样的地方， 这样的农民，

you'd be hungry, naked and sober.

你们也不会有饭吃， 不会有衣服穿，也没有酒喝。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

(Applause)

（掌声）

I sometimes jokingly say that I have three,

我有时会开玩笑说， 我有三份全职工作，

sometimes four full-time jobs,

甚至四份全职工作，

but I really have three or four full-time jobs.

但这并未夸大。

My day job is as a conservation coordinator with Ducks Unlimited

白天，我在 Ducks Unlimited 担任环保专员，

under the Rice Stewardship Partnership.

在美国水稻合作管理项目下工作。

I work alongside rice farmers to protect,

我与稻农合作，致力为当地保护、

restore and manage wetlands for waterfowl.

恢复和管理水鸟的湿地。

Waterfowl spend a lot of time in rice fields, by the way.

因为水鸟会长时间呆在稻田里。

I’m also a wife, mother,

同时，我作为妻子和母亲，

and I do anything and everything I can for our family farm.

为家庭农场付出许多。

The last one doesn't pay the bills,

这个不盈利， 是应我爸的请求。

but it's hard to say no to my dad.

So when he sent me an email about a grant he was interested in

一年多前，他给我发了一封邮件， 关于他看中的一项补助金，

a little over a year ago, I got to work.

我立马着手开始工作。

My dad releases the butterflies and I have to catch them.

我爸对未来寄予的 希望要由我来实现。

I have to figure out how to do what's going on,

我得去具体实现他的计划。

whatever is in his mind.

He's the thinker, I'm the doer.

我爸是思想家，我是行动者。

This grant specifically was the USDA's partnerships

这项补助金是 美国农业部的合作项目，

for climate-smart commodities.

针对气候友好的产品。

I submitted a proposal on behalf of our farm,

我代表我们农场提交了一份提案 ，

and it was successfully selected.

并被成功挑选。

We are going to work with farmers in southeast Arkansas

我们将与阿肯色州 东南部的农民合作，

to educate them about the benefits of growing sustainable rice.

向他们普及种植 可持续水稻的好处。

We're going to work with veterans, immigrants,

我们也和退役军人，移民，

limited-resource and socially disadvantaged farmers.

以及资源有限， 弱势的农民合作，

Farmers that aren't so different from my family just a few generations ago.

他们几代前与我家并无差别。

We will then implement pay-for-practices

我们会靠实施环保的 耕种方式获得补助，

such as alternate wetting and drying, cover crop, no till and low till.

例如干湿交替灌溉、覆盖作物、 免耕和少耕技术。

We will then help them learn about

然后，我们将帮助他们学习、

and document their greenhouse gas benefits.

记录他们的温室气体效益。

Monitor, measure, report and verify them.

并且监控、测量、报告 和证实这些信息；

Then market and sell that rice, at a premium,

继而营销，加价卖出这批大米，

to help them realize the benefits of producing sustainable rice.

给他们体会可持续大米种植的 益处，即收入的增加。

The economic advantage.

I'm a farmer, but not in the way you might think.

我是农民， 但与你假设的不同，

I don’t drive the tractors, and I don’t plant the rice.

我不开拖拉机，也不耕种水稻。

But I know how to take what my dad has learned

但我懂得利用我父亲学到的知识，

and what he is doing and share that with others.

利用他的实践方式，并与他人分享。

I know how to interpret the data

我知道如何分析数据，

and see the reduction in inputs

也知道投入的减少会对经济 和环境产生影响。

that has both an economic and an environmental impact.

I don't know if that alone is enough to stop climate change,

我不知道这是否足以阻止气候变化，

but I'm surrounded by farmers that are doing everything they can

但我身边皆是尽己所能 推动可持续性的农民。

to be more sustainable.

I think my brother and I will take over the farm someday

未来，在我爸同意之后， 我和我的兄弟会接管农场。

if my dad lets us.

And hopefully when my son is old enough,

希望等我儿子长大后，

I'll take him out on the farm and show him what I do.

我能带他去农场， 给他展示我的工作。

I'll tell him he can go do whatever he wants to do,

我会任他走自己的道路，

and hopefully one day I'll see him back on the farm,

不过我希望终能见到他返回农场，

the seventh generation.

作为第七代农民。

But for that to happen,

但要到达这个目标，

we need a sustainable farming industry,

需要积极的农业文化，

one that rewards trailblazers and early adopters

要奖励开拓者和早期的实践者，

instead of penalizing them.

而不是制裁他们。

Farmers like my family

像我的家人这样的农民，

who are on the front lines of sustainable rice production.

站在可持续水稻生产前线的农民。

JW: So Jessica mentioned alternate wetting and drying.

JW：杰西卡提到了干湿交替灌溉。

And I think in my haste, I left it out.

我刚才匆忙之中遗漏了它，

So let me tell you what it is.

现在来细讲。

It is when we flood a rice field continuously, like my dad taught us,

我们持续浇灌一片水稻田时， 按照父亲的指示，

we put four inches of water on it.

会加上四英寸深的水。

We have an evaporation rate of about a quarter inch a day,

每天蒸发四分之一英寸，

so we have about 16 days of available water.

所以大约可用 16 天。

Rice is an anaerobic crop.

水稻是一种厌氧作物。

It's grown in flooded conditions.

它是在淹水条件下生长的。

When the soil starts to dry,

当土壤开始干燥，

the microbial community goes dormant,

微生物群落就会进入休眠状态，

and the field stops emitting methane emissions.

田地便会停止排放甲烷。

Let me tell you why that's important.

这里面的道理是，

There are 400 million acres of rice grown globally.

全球四亿英亩的土地用于种植水稻，

It is the largest emitter of methane gas.

是最大的甲烷气体来源，

It is the largest user of irrigation water,

也是灌溉水最主要的用途。

and our methods, if used, can reduce greenhouse gas by 50 percent,

使用我们的方法， 可以将温室气体排放量减少一半，

reduce water use by 50 percent,

用水量减半，

increase yields to feed a hungry world.

同时提高产量，养活世界。

(Applause)

（掌声）

JWA: If our protocols were adopted more widely,

杰西卡：如果我们的协议 更加广泛地被采用，

can you imagine the benefits?

你觉得好处会是什么？

If you take care of the planet, it will take care of you.

如果你爱护地球， 地球也会回报你。

That's true for farmers and for all of us.

对农民和其他人均是这样。

Farmers take care of consumers,

农民为消费者负责，

take care of all of you every single day.

每一天负责供给你们。

It's time for you to start taking care of farmers.

现在你们得为农民考虑。

Thank you.

谢谢。

JW: Thank you.

JW：谢谢大家。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌声和欢呼声）