Apr 15, 2015
MEMPHIS, TN -- Earlier this week, USA Rice and Duck Unlimited hosted meetings for contributing partners in the Sustaining the Future of Rice Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). The roundtable meeting was designed to foster discussion amongst USA Rice member companies and end users on how to improve and coordinate common goals and initiatives related to sustainability and conservation.
The meeting participants, all of whom support the Rice and Ducks RCPP through in-kind and cash contributions, are now looking to further implement and support conservation practices on rice farms through collaboration and to help build capacity for future projects. Companies represented include: Anheuser-Busch, Kellogg's, Mars, Producers Rice Mill, Riceland Foods, and Unilever.
"Each company shared their goals for rice sustainability -- which for us is not solely environmental, but economic as well," said Arkansas rice farmer and Chair of the USA Rice Sustainability Task Force Jennifer James. "We agreed to coordinate going forward on the Field Print Calculator which will form the basis of evaluating improvements on farms for the RCPP and other conservation initiatives."
The group developed a detailed timeline for implementation and grower outreach to ensure that rice farmers take advantage of the new RCPP program that will provide $10 million in support for their conservation efforts.
Readers can learn more about RCPP programs in the upcoming issue of The Whole Grain, out later this month.
Contact: Ben Mosely (703) 236-1471