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This document reports the findings and conclusions of a short exploratory study into the emergence, spread and impacts of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). SRI is a crop management system that has been depicted as a more productive and more ecologically sustainable method for cultivating rice. It is said to be particularly appropriate, accessible and beneficial for poor and marginal farmers because it can achieve substantial increases in productivity and grain yield without the need for improved seeds or chemical inputs. It has also been reported that SRI methods can produce much higher yields while consuming much less water. These claims have provoked controversy among some scientists.