ARLINGTON, VA – The U.S. rice industry recently released the International Rice Industry Sustainability Report, a comprehensive look at sustainability and conservation agricultural practices around the globe that compares the U.S. with other top rice exporting countries, including Brazil, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Uruguay, and Vietnam.
The report was compiled by Pinion Global, a food and agriculture consulting firm, and is based on a literature review of global and regional rice sustainability and conservation agriculture practices along with input from U.S. and international rice scientists. USA Rice’s Dr. Steve Linscombe coordinated the long list of industry contacts involved who ensured the accuracy of the research presented from each specific region.
Rice production practices were categorized into four key sustainability focus areas: land use and soil conservation, water use and quality, energy use and air quality, and biodiversity. It comes as no surprise that U.S- grown rice has the highest percentage of actual yield to potential yield ratio, low greenhouse gas emissions, low water use, and low water stress compared to other rice exporting countries and is a leader in efficient production techniques that reduce environmental impacts.
The importance of sustainability has grown significantly, especially among younger generations who will soon have the majority of purchasing power and increasingly prefer goods associated with conscientious production practices.
“As the demand from environmentally-conscious consumers for sustainably produced goods increases, there is an obvious market opportunity for rice producers who utilize these practices,” said USA Rice COO Sarah Moran. “Sustainability-related regulations are being adopted by countries all over the world. This shift in ecological awareness will allow U.S. rice producers to differentiate themselves by emphasizing the industry’s many beneficial environmental and economic outcomes and to communicate that to global markets.”
The report was initiated by USA Rice in an effort to streamline branding and marketing efforts in overseas markets and funded primarily through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Regional Agricultural Promotion Program (RAPP) grants.
Go here to listen to an AI-generated podcast summarizing the report findings. The podcast was created by Dr. Adam Famoso, a rice breeder from the Louisiana State University Rice Research Station, who contributed to the report.