Mars has committed to invest US$20m in rice farming and sourcing to help farmers adopt regenerative agriculture practices and improve crop resilience
Rice is a staple food for billions of people around the world, but climate variability is impacting its growth.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that global rice yield will decline by 10-15% by 2050 under current trends.
Mars has committed to invest US$20m in sustainable rice sourcing programmes by 2030 to help farmers adopt climate-smart agriculture practices through its Raising Rice Right platform.
"Rice is a daily staple for billions of people and provides an income to millions of farmers around the world, but climate change is placing extraordinary pressure on this vital crop," says Dale Creaser, Global Vice President of Supply Chain at Mars Food & Nutrition.
"As the owners of Ben’s Original, one of the world’s largest rice brands, we have a responsibility to act. This US$20m investment is about backing our farmers with the tools, technology and training support they need to adapt and thrive in a changing environment.
“It’s also about future-proofing our business to ensure we’re building a resilient food supply chain. We're committed to making rice farming more sustainable and protecting yields and livelihoods for our farmers today and for generations to come."
Is rice farming sustainable?
Rice is a semi-aquatic tropical plant, requiring water and warmth to grow.
Conventional production of rice consumes a lot of water as fields are kept continuously flooded for months to control weeds.
The microbes in flooded rice paddies can generate methane which is a potent greenhouse gas.
On top of contributing to environmental harm, rice farming can be impacted by climate change.
Rice is incredibly sensitive to temperature during its flowering stage and if temperatures exceed 35°C for even one hour during pollination, its pollen can become sterile.
Rice also needs cooled nights to respire and convert sunlight into grain.
Higher temperatures at nighttime can use more of the plant’s energy and cause yield to decrease.
Regenerative rice farming
Regenerative growing methods, like the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) and organic soil management, can help to reduce the negative impact of farming rice and make it more resilient.
SRI uses young seedlings, reduced plant density and AWD irrigation that keeps fields wet but not continuously flooded.
Regenerative agriculture can help companies to lower emissions within their supply chains and create direct benefits for farmers.
Reducing use of synthetic fertilisers and pesticides can reduce costs, resilience against extreme weather can reduce crop loss and farm biodiversity and soil health often improve.
However, the potential costs of these practices can discourage farmers.
Regenerative transitions can reduce yields, initial investment costs can be high and new knowledge or training can be required.
Mars’ climate-smart rice plans
As part of the Sustainable in a Generation Plan, Mars is committed to ensuring 100% of farmers in its supply chain at risk of poverty are reached by programs designed to enable them to thrive.
Mars’ ongoing investment will enable the company to work directly with its rice farmers and suppliers to implement climate-smart agriculture practices like AWD.
A farm in Arkansas, US has reduced its water usage by 60% and achieved up to 60% lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to average farms in the region as a result of implementing AWD.
The company says it will also equip farmers with knowledge, tools and technology to implement these practices.
Mars is also a founding member of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), a global alliance working to promote sustainable rice farming, empower smallholder farmers and reduce the environmental footprint of rice.
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