Qingtian county in Lishui, Zhejiang province officially unveiled carbon labels for its rice and rice field fish products from the Rice-Fish Symbiosis System on June 7.

Recognized as China's first significant agricultural cultural heritage, the Qingtian Rice-Fish Symbiosis System now proudly features carbon information labels, giving its products a unique green identity.

These rice and freshwater fish products are the first in the province to receive carbon footprint and carbon label certification, signifying a significant achievement in promoting green and high-quality agricultural development and realizing the value of ecological products.

A carbon label quantifies and displays the greenhouse gas emissions produced during the lifecycle of a product. For Qingtian rice, emissions are calculated across three stages: acquisition of production materials, rice-fish symbiotic cultivation, and rice processing. The total greenhouse gas emissions for one kilogram of rice amount to 0.5106 kilograms of CO2 equivalent.

For rice field fish, emissions are calculated across two stages: acquisition of production materials and the rice-fish co-cultivation stage. The total greenhouse gas emissions for producing one kilogram of rice field fish amount to 0.0880 kilograms of CO2 equivalent.

The rice-fish symbiosis system employs a sustainable model in which fish consume insects and weeds, and fish waste fertilizes the fields, achieving dual control of fertilizers and pesticides. This method promotes the recycling of internal waste and reduces the carbon footprint by 43 percent compared to traditional rice monoculture. It is a prime example of integrating green and low-carbon principles into modern, efficient ecological agriculture.

Carbon labels can drive the upgrade of green consumption in society, leading to increased income for farmers, and enhance the quality and efficiency of ecological agriculture, helping to create market-competitive agricultural product brands, according to authorities.