Rice cultivation in the United Kingdom? A historic attempt ends in success

Fish & chips are considered a standard British dish. But this may change as the increasingly warmer climate affects agricultural realities in the north. The very first rice cultivation in the history of the British Isles is now debuting, and scientists are already optimistically predicting a rice-based future.

An experiment that surprised everyone

In the Cambridgeshire Fens, in eastern England, stretch traditional fields of potatoes, onions, and beets – this fertile land accounts for the production of one-third of all British vegetables. Among them, however, one can spot unusual patches of grass. These are four small rice plots cultivated by ecologist Nadine Mitschunas as part of a project between the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and local farmers.

The land belongs to the Taylors, a married couple who agreed to flood the field and plant nine varieties of Oryza sativa from different countries around the world – from risotto rice to Japanese sushi rice. Now, as the seeds mature, they both admit it is a huge surprise. “It would never have occurred to us that this could grow here,” says Sarah Taylor.

Rice cultivation in the heart of England would not have been possible without favorable weather. Data from the Met Office shows that the summer of 2025 was the hottest in the history of British meteorology. If this trend continues, there could be a significant change in the agricultural landscape.
“No one has tried this before, but with climate change we now have crops that just 10 years ago seemed impossible. In another 10 years rice may turn out to be the perfect crop for us,” says Nadine Mitschunas.

Saving peatlands with benefits for consumers

The idea of rice cultivation in the UK has a deeper ecological meaning. Historically, the Cambridgeshire Fens region covered 150,000 hectares of peatlands, but due to drainage for agriculture only 24,000 hectares remain. Drought and high temperatures don’t help either, so the peatlands keep shrinking.

As part of restoring these ecologically valuable areas, UKCEH decided to try combining artificially re-wetted peatlands with the cultivation of edible and energy crops. In addition to rice, experiments are also being conducted with lettuce and hybrid willow varieties. All of this aims to reduce CO2 emissions from drying peat and preserve the fertility of local soils.

Professor Richard Pywell, who manages the entire project, declared that the area will be monitored in the coming years. “Our detailed measurements of the rewetted peatlands will include greenhouse gas emissions, carbon stocks, water use, crop yields, and impacts on wildlife. They will help farmers and policymakers determine the best path forward for the Cambridgeshire lowlands – with livelihoods, the environment, and nature in mind,” explained Pywell.

Does rice cultivation in the United Kingdom have a future?

For now, Nadine Mitschunas’s plots are purely experimental. But they have proven to skeptics that rice cultivation is possible even in northern Europe. Initial tests show that the Colombian variety Estrella performs best across the Channel. However, it is too early for mass-scale rice production.

Meanwhile, the coming decades may bring many agricultural surprises. We have already written in Wodne Sprawy about the impact of climate change on grape cultivation and its consequences for wine producers. In January 2025, a team of British scientists from UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) published a study indicating that a global temperature rise of 4°C compared to the pre-industrial era could be detrimental to strawberries, onions, wheat, and oats, while at the same time increasing the potential for soybeans or chickpeas. In this scenario, commercial rice cultivation in the United Kingdom is entirely feasible.

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main photo credit: Pille R. Priske/Unsplash