Climate change and catastrophic events have contributed to rice shortages in several regions due to decreased water availability and soil salinisation. Although not adapted to salt or drought stress, two commercial rice varieties achieved tolerance to these stresses by colonising them with Class 2 fungal endophytes isolated from plants growing across moisture and salinity gradients. This paper examines the stress tolerance via symbiosis of rice plants and the potential usefulness of symbiotic technology for mitigating the impacts of climate change on these and other crops.