LITTLE ROCK, AR – Anheuser-Busch (NYSE: BUD), a leading American manufacturer and the nation’s top brewer of Michelob ULTRA, Busch Light, Budweiser, and Bud Light, showed additional support for the U.S. rice industry with a philanthropic donation of $100,000 to The Rice Foundation to be used for research and investment in the long-term viability of the industry.
The donation was presented at last month’s USA Rice Outlook Conference at the “Choose Beer Grown Here Bar” in the sprawling Exhibit Hall. Flanked by displays of beer made with U.S.-grown rice and showing off the “U.S. Farmed Certified” mark, the setting was perfect.
U.S. Rice Agronomy Manager for Anheuser-Busch Bill Jones presented a ceremonial check to Dr. Brian Ottis, chair of The Rice Foundation, saying, “As the largest end user of rice in the United States, we have a deep and longstanding relationship with this country’s rice farmers. It’s in everyone’s interest for the U.S. rice industry to succeed – in yields, profitability, and beyond. We believe The Rice Foundation is at the forefront of a united industry and working everyday towards those goals.”
In thanking Anheuser-Busch, Ottis said, “This support comes at a vital time for our Foundation as we are often presented with many exciting research projects that require additional support. This money will go a long way to expanding the knowledge base for U.S. rice and making our industry more competitive and more responsive to mounting challenges.”
“At Anheuser-Busch, 99 percent of the beer we sell in the U.S. is made in the U.S., and nearly all of our ingredients are sourced from American farmers – including 100 percent of our rice,” said John Rogers, U.S. Chief Procurement Officer at Anheuser-Busch, who was on hand to address the USA Rice Outlook Conference General Session earlier in the day. “Sourcing domestically has allowed us to drive economic prosperity in communities right here in the United States, and it is through organizations like USA Rice that we are able to support not just our direct growers, but the entire agricultural industry.”
The Rice Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1986 that supports research and education for all aspects of the U.S. rice industry. Projects have focused on conservation and sustainability, nutrition, rice varieties and production, and food safety. The Rice Foundation also manages the Rice Leadership Development Program, launched in 1989.