The integrated rice‐fish system and opportunities in South Asia: an agroecological perspective

Abstract

To investigate whether agroecology (AE) could accelerate an IRFS-based transition towards food and nutritional security (FNS), this review of 230 scientific articles on IRFS from 2005 to 2025 documented the AE traits of IRFS and their relevance to addressing FNS. The current IRFS of South Asian countries was assessed, first through a rapid review process to identify their qualitative traits consistent with AE. Next, we evaluated the IRFS’s impact on FNS. In total, IRFS has shown 54 traits relevant to AE principles that address FNS. Among 13 AE principles, seven have been considered primary impact creators of FNS. Impact may be accelerated with strategies such as crop diversification, mixed crop-livestock systems, and farmer-to-farmer networks. Fish play a significant role in IRFS by preserving ecological and socioeconomic equilibrium, supporting livelihoods, income, and community engagement. In South Asia, an analysis of five distinct IRFS types identified qualitative features that could support a maximum of 10 relevant AE principles but for which pertinent empirical evidence was lacking. Although IRFS could potentially boost smallholder income, FNS, and overall productivity, many South Asian countries would need to address seven significant challenges, including initial investment costs, vulnerability to natural disasters, hilly terrain, loss of indigenous fish varieties, environmental impacts of inputs, land-use change, limited technical knowledge and financial constraints among the farming communities. AE frameworks can support scaling up IRFS adoption and diffusion through a holistic approach to performance evaluation and creating appropriate strategies and guidelines.