ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – Earlier this year, Unilever, one of the largest food and consumer companies in the world, and a user of U.S.-grown rice in their Knorr Brand, conducted a survey of 20,000 adults in five countries to learn how their views on sustainability impact consumer purchasing decisions. The answer was, “quite a bit.”
Seventy-eight percent of U.S. shoppers said they feel better when they buy products that are sustainably produced, and 21 percent of all shoppers surveyed said they would actively choose brands that make their sustainability credentials clear on packaging and marketing materials.
“Doing the right thing with regard to sustainability is obviously important, but just as important in the marketplace is letting people know you’re doing it,” said Jennifer James, an Arkansas rice farmer and chair of the USA Rice Sustainability Committee. “We created the USA Rice Sustainability Award to flush out those stories, those good actors, who will help lift the entire industry by sharing what they are doing.”
The award is open to individuals or entities with significant involvement in the U.S. rice industry and with a history of promoting and advancing sustainability through innovative practices and demonstrated leadership in the sustainability community.
“If you or your neighbor, or someone you know is elevating the already excellent sustainability record of the U.S. rice industry, please take a few minutes to share your story with us, so we can share it with the world,” James said.
The nomination form and process is quite simple and James’ committee is accepting nominations through September 29, 2017. The award will be presented at the USA Rice Outlook Conference in San Antonio, Texas on December 10, 2017.
The application form can be found
here.