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

譯者: LI YISI 審譯者: 麗玲 辛

Jim Whitaker: I grew up on a family farm.

吉姆·惠特克： 我在一個家庭農場長大。

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

我的家族在阿肯色州東南部 務農長達 130 年，

and I'm a fifth generation farmer.

而我是第五代農民。

We raise cotton, rice, corn and soybeans,

我們種植棉花、稻米、玉米和大豆。

along with my brother Sam,

我和我的哥哥山姆一起耕作，

our extended families

和我的大家族、

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

以及許多偉大的同事，他們缺一不可。

So when I was 16 years old,

當我 16 歲的時候，

I came home from school one day.

有一天我從學校回家。

It was my dad's birthday.

那天我爸爸的生日，

My birthday was three days later.

我的生日是三天後。

I expected in some type of party event.

我期待會有一些生日派對，

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

但我爸爸剛經歷了 1980 年史無前例的乾旱。

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

當我回家時，我媽媽正在哭，

my dad was trying to console her,

我爸爸試圖安慰她，

and there's a foreclosure letter on the bar.

而桌面上有一封止贖信。

We thought we were going to lose the family farm

我們以為我們將失去 幾代家族擁有的農場。

that we had had in our family for generations.

Luckily, we did not lose the farm,

幸運的是，我們沒有失去它，

but he still struggled financially.

但農場的經營仍有經濟困難。

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

當我 22 歲， 服了一段時間兵役後，

I decided I was going to start farming.

我決定要開始務農。

So my brother and I rented a farm.

於是我哥哥和我租了一個農場，

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

我爸爸不能幫我們， 他沒有足夠的資金，

He could not help us get started.

無法幫我們起步。

Farming is very capital-intensive business.

農業是一個資本密集的產業。

And so we got an FHA beginning farmer loan.

所以我們申請了聯邦住宅管理局的 初級農民貸款。

And let me tell you something about renting a farm

告訴你們一個事實， 如果你 22 歲時想租農場，

when you're 22 years old.

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

沒有人會租給你， 除非別人都不想租那農場。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

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

那塊土地很大，租金要付現。

I mean, the stakes were set.

賭注已經投下，

We were doomed to fail.

而我們註定失敗。

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

當時我們並不關注環境永續，

We were focused on economic sustainability.

我們關心的是經濟永續：

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

如何讓產量更多？ 如何用更少的肥料？

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

我們要怎樣撐到下一年， 讓家人有飯吃？

And ...

然後我們發現

It happens that economic and environmental sustainability go hand in hand

其實經濟永續和環境永續 可以並行不悖，

along with social sustainability.

甚至社會永續也是。

As we used less fertilizer, used less water,

當我們施用較少的肥料、較少的水，

our yields started going up.

我們的產量開始增加。

It was just a great thing.

這是一件很棒的事情。

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

我們的稻田首要事務之一，

we adopted a technique that's a little different.

我們採用了不太一樣的技術，

We leveled our fields completely flat.

讓耕地變得完全平坦，

This is called zero-grade.

我們稱之為零級耕地。

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

世界各地的稻米都栽種在水田裏，

Everywhere.

各地都是如此。

And most people use the natural contour of the Earth

大多數農民利用地形的自然輪廓，

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

引水下流至山腳。

And there are always, we call it continuous flood.

而且他們總是用 我們稱之為連續灌溉的方式

They continuously put water on their fields.

不斷地往耕地注水。

And we leveled ours flat with a perimeter road.

我們則整平耕地，圍著一條周界路，

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

我們用這條周界路儲蓄降水。

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

因此，實際更少抽水、用水量少、

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

徑流更少，侵蝕更少、 營養流失也更少。

Nothing leaves our field unless we want it to.

我們可以把需要的東西 保留在我們的耕地中。

So I get around farmers

所以我跟其他農民說，

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

這個方法可以賺取碳信用額什麼的。

and our family was lucky,

我們的家人很幸運，

we were one of the first ever in the world

在 2016 年，我們是世界上第一個

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

將農業碳額度銷售給微軟的農場，

使用的正是這套為稻米設計的方案。

that we've designed on rice.

And I got that --

而我明白了，

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

容我說明一下，我是怎麼明白的。

我不只是依靠自己，

I didn't get that on my own.

I met two very instrumental people.

我遇到了兩位啟發我的人，

One was Dr. Merle Anders.

其中一個是梅爾·安德斯博士。

He is the world-renowned greenhouse gas expert,

他是世界著名的溫室氣體專家，

and he started mentoring me.

他曾指導過我。

The other was a buyer from Mars Foods,

另一位是來自瑪氏食品的買家，

and we were in a leadership class together.

我們一起參加了領袖課程。

And we started talking and we started thinking about sustainability.

我們在課程中開始討論， 開始思考永續發展。

So that's how my journey started.

我的旅程就是這樣開始的。

But you know, when I tell other farmers

但是你知道，當我告訴其他農民

that they could potentially sell carbon credit,

他們可以出售碳信用額度、

they could help companies reduce their scope 3 emissions,

幫助企業減少範疇三排放，

they could save money,

他們可以省錢，

possibly enroll in environmental climate-smart practices

還可能註冊成為 政府的氣候智能型農業，

for the government,

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

他們說，「我只想能過活就好。」

Farming is a generational business.

農業是一個世代的事業。

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

人們世代傳承，父傳子，子傳孫。

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

馬上你會看到，父親傳給女兒。

It's passed down generationally,

它是一代代傳下來的，

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

每年，我們只有一次犯錯的機會。

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

因此，當你要農民 做超出常規的事情時，

it scares the heck out of them.

他們會很害怕。

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

因此，我用另一種方式和他們討論。

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

我說：「你的抽水成本 可以省大概 40 至 50 美元，

on your pumping cost.

You could sell a carbon credit.

你可以賣出碳信用額，

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

因為做了正確的事情， 你可以從企業獲得更多的報酬。」

This starts to pique their interest.

這開始吸引他們。

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

降低風險是我們 吸引農民參與的方式。

We are a for-profit industry,

農業是一個講求利潤的產業，

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

因此他們不會做任何 他們認為會損害產量的事情。

So Jessica,

所以傑西卡

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

去讀大學，修得商管學位 以及永續發展輔修學位，

went on to get her MBA, emphasis on finance.

並繼續研讀金融方向的工商管理碩士，

Now she's back helping me.

現在她回來幫我，

Not all the time on the family farm.

雖然不是一直待在農場。

She works for Ducks Unlimited,

她在 Ducks Unlimited 工作，

one of the most aggressive conservationists in the rice industry.

他們是稻米業最激進的保護主義者之一，

They are an awesome partner to work with.

也是一個很棒的合作夥伴。

She's back working with Ducks Unlimited,

傑西卡一邊 與 Ducks Unlimited 合作，

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

一邊幫助我推進方案設計 和進行數據收集。

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

我想弄清楚的事是：

number one: What’s important?

第一，重要的是哪些事？

How are we going to quantify it?

我們要如何量化？

And then how are we going to sell that data?

我們要如何推銷這些數據？

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

因為這裡的每個人都想知道， 「我們可以拿到您的數據嗎？」

No, you can't.

不，你不能。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

我們正在思考如何量化它，

So we established what is called the Smart Rice protocol.

因此，我們建立了所謂的智能米方案。

We partner with a global seed company, RiceTec,

我們與一家全球種子公司 RiceTec 合作，

and we have one of the first ever --

我們是有史以來第一家——

there's a couple more --

當然還有其他幾家——

I promise you it's the most rigorous,

程序十分嚴格，

我們推出第一個經過 第三方驗證的袋裝永續米，

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

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

在幾個月前上市，

and we’re trying to get in retail locations.

我們正在嘗試銷售給零售商。

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

這樣，我們可以幫助一些主要的 終端用戶減少範疇三排放。

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

我認為這是未來的大勢所趨。

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

而傑西卡，她在農場中 扮演的角色和我有所不同，

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

她是下一代接管我們農場的一份子。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

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

傑西卡·惠特克·艾倫： 我是第六代農民。

Growing up, I remember running around outside barefoot,

成長的過程中，我記得 我在野外赤著腳亂跑，

catching as many snakes, turtles, frogs as possible,

抓每一隻我們看到的蛇、烏龜、青蛙，

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

然後說服父母讓我 把牠們留在家裡當寵物。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

Eventually, my dad bought me an aquarium,

後來，我爸爸給我買了一個水族箱，

and we had fun with that for a little while inside

我們把抓來的動物 放在裡面，玩得很開心，

until a few of the snakes got lost in our house

直到幾條蛇在家裡不見了，

and we never found them.

而我們再也沒找到它們。

Sorry.

抱歉。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

We live and work in southeast Arkansas.

我們在阿肯色州東南部生活和工作，

McGehee, specifically.

主要在麥基希。

Our town has 4,000 residents and one stoplight.

我們小鎮有四千名居民， 只有一個號誌燈。

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

最近的機場、星巴克、 購物中心、全食超市，

is two hours away in any direction.

距離小鎮至少有兩個小時車程。

Without places like this and farmers like us,

如果沒有像這樣的農場 和像我們這樣的農民，

you'd be hungry, naked and sober.

你會沒食物吃、沒衣服穿、 並因沒酒喝而神智清醒。

(Laughter)

（笑聲）

(Applause)

（掌聲）

I sometimes jokingly say that I have three,

有時我開玩笑說， 我有三至四份全職工作。

sometimes four full-time jobs,

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

但我真的有三、四份全職工作。

My day job is as a conservation coordinator with Ducks Unlimited

我的日常工作是在水稻管理合作組織裏

under the Rice Stewardship Partnership.

担任 Ducks Unlimited 的 保育協調員。

I work alongside rice farmers to protect,

我與米農們一起工作，

restore and manage wetlands for waterfowl.

為水禽保護、復育和管理濕地。

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

順便一提， 水禽會在稻田中停留很久。

I’m also a wife, mother,

我也是一個妻子、媽媽，

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

竭盡所能地為我們的 家族農場做出貢獻。

The last one doesn't pay the bills,

最後這份工作沒有薪水，

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

但我很難對我爸爸說不。

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

因此，一年前他寄給我一封電子信， 說他對一個補助金申請感興趣時，

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

我就開始這份工作。

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

我爸爸許願，而我負責讓願望成真。

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

我必須弄清楚 如何處理正在發生的事情，

whatever is in his mind.

不管我爸爸想到什麼點子。

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

他是思想家，我是行動者。

This grant specifically was the USDA's partnerships

該補助金是源於美國農業部

for climate-smart commodities.

與氣候智能型產品的合作。

I submitted a proposal on behalf of our farm,

我代表我們的農場提交了一個提案

and it was successfully selected.

並成功中選了。

We are going to work with farmers in southeast Arkansas

我們將與阿肯色州東南部的農民合作，

to educate them about the benefits of growing sustainable rice.

跟他們宣導種植永續稻米的好處。

We're going to work with veterans, immigrants,

我們將與退伍軍人、移民、

limited-resource and socially disadvantaged farmers.

資源有限和社會弱勢的農民合作，

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

這些農民與我幾代前的家人 並沒有多麼不同。

We will then implement pay-for-practices

我們實施按實踐支付報酬的方法，

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

鼓勵農民進行節水灌溉、 種植覆土作物，免耕和少耕。

We will then help them learn about

我們幫助他們了解、記錄

and document their greenhouse gas benefits.

這些方法的溫室氣體排放效益。

Monitor, measure, report and verify them.

監控、測量、報告、驗證，

Then market and sell that rice, at a premium,

然後以優惠的價格銷售那些稻米作物，

to help them realize the benefits of producing sustainable rice.

讓他們體認到生產永續米的好處，

The economic advantage.

經濟優勢。

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

我是個農民， 但不是你想像的那種農民。

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

我不開拖拉機，也不種米，

But I know how to take what my dad has learned

但我知道如何繼承 我爸爸學到的東西

and what he is doing and share that with others.

和他正在做的事情，並與他人分享。

I know how to interpret the data

我知道如何解釋數據，

and see the reduction in inputs

並偵測到成本的減少——

that has both an economic and an environmental impact.

成本減少既有經濟影響， 也有環境影響。

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

我不知道只有這樣 是否足以阻止氣候變化，

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

但我身邊的農民，他們都竭盡所能

to be more sustainable.

為更加永續發展而努力。

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

我想如果我爸爸允許， 總有一天，我和哥哥會接下農場。

if my dad lets us.

And hopefully when my son is old enough,

我也希望我兒子長大的時候，

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

我會帶他去農場， 告訴他我正在做什麼。

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

我會告訴他，他可以去做 任何他想做的事，

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

但我希望有一天， 能見到他回到農場，

the seventh generation.

作為第七代農民。

But for that to happen,

但是為了實現這一點，

we need a sustainable farming industry,

我們需要永續的農業，

one that rewards trailblazers and early adopters

獎勵開拓者和先行者，

instead of penalizing them.

而不是懲罰他們。

Farmers like my family

像我家人一樣的農民，

who are on the front lines of sustainable rice production.

他們站在永續水稻生產的最前線。

JW: So Jessica mentioned alternate wetting and drying.

吉姆：傑西卡提到了節水灌溉法。

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

我剛才忘了解釋這點。

So let me tell you what it is.

容我說明。

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

連續灌溉稻田時，像我爸爸教導的，

we put four inches of water on it.

我們在水田放 4 英吋厚的水。

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

每天的蒸發率約為 1/4 英吋，

so we have about 16 days of available water.

所以我們大約有 16 天的水可用。

Rice is an anaerobic crop.

水稻是一種厭氧作物，

It's grown in flooded conditions.

它在浸水狀態下生長。

When the soil starts to dry,

土壤乾燥時，

the microbial community goes dormant,

微生物群落會進入休眠期，

and the field stops emitting methane emissions.

田地則停止排放甲烷。

Let me tell you why that's important.

讓我告訴你，為什麼這很重要：

全球有四億英畝的稻米種植，

There are 400 million acres of rice grown globally.

It is the largest emitter of methane gas.

這是最大的甲烷排放來源，

It is the largest user of irrigation water,

也是最主要的灌溉水使用者。

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

如果使用我們的方法， 可以降低 50% 的溫室氣體排放，

reduce water use by 50 percent,

減少 50% 的用水量，

increase yields to feed a hungry world.

同時提高產量， 為飢餓的世界提供充足食物。

(Applause)

（掌聲）

JWA: If our protocols were adopted more widely,

傑西卡：如果我們的方案被廣泛採用，

can you imagine the benefits?

你們能想像這些好處嗎？

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

如果你照顧地球，它會照顧你。

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

這對農民和我們所有人都是真理。

Farmers take care of consumers,

農民照顧著消費者，

take care of all of you every single day.

每天照顧所有人。

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

現在該你來照顧農民了。

Thank you.

謝謝。

JW: Thank you.

吉姆：謝謝。

(Applause and cheers)

（掌聲和歡呼）