Growing rice in the UK 'not so crazy' as climate warms

Ely, United Kingdom: Wearing large rubber boots, Nadine Mitschunas joyfully handled mature rice plants peeking through the water of her small plot gro...

Ely, United Kingdom: Wearing large rubber boots, Nadine Mitschunas joyfully handled mature rice plants peeking through the water of her small plot growing in the fertile soil of eastern England.

Growing rice "has not been done before in the UK", said Mitschunas, a field ecologist at the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH).

But as temperatures warm due to climate change, "it's not such a crazy idea because it seems to work", she added.

As rice grows in eastern England, lemons groves and chickpeas are also cropping up in the south.

A warmer climate and changing rainfall patterns have made planning ahead essential, and British researchers are embarking on a journey of agricultural transformation.