NPEW 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Caryl Levine March 2017 510 525-3137 ext. 118

Lotus Foods Pledges Methane Reductions in Rice Farming at March 8 Climate Event

[Richmond, CA] Lotus Foods, the leading company focusing on heirloom, organic and fair trade rice production, and a member of the Climate Collaborative, is supporting the first-ever Climate Day, Wednesday, March 8, at Natural Products Expo West, the largest natural foods trade show in the U.S, held in Anaheim, California. Co-hosted by Climate Collaborative and New Hope Network, Climate Day will involve a day of panels, speakers and information on how companies can take action to reverse climate change, and highlight ongoing and new corporate commitments to lead the way.

Lotus Foods Climate Commitment

The global food system is a significant driver of climate change, contributing about a quarter of the world’s GHG emissions, according to a recent Oxfam report. Conventional rice production is a major cause due to the emission of methane, a powerful global warming-causing gas. Lotus Foods is partnering with small-scale farmers who have adopted changes in their rice-farming practices that reduce this potent greenhouse gas by 30 to 60 percent. “We have been working with farmers applying agroecological System of Rice Intensification (SRI) methods, or what we call More Crop Per Drop™ since 2008,” notes Caryl Levine, Lotus Foods Co-Founder/Co-CEO. “Initially, we were most concerned about reducing water consumption in rice production—as it’s one of the largest users of our planet’s freshwater supplies— and creating market incentives for these pioneering farmers. We didn’t realize then that one of the many benefits of moving from continuously flooded to oxygen-rich, aerobic soils is a reduction in methane gas. Research has since validated this.[i] So this is an exciting win-win strategy.” The same Oxfam report cites SRI as an innovation that could play a vital role in driving down the massive emissions from rice production while also benefiting small-scale producers (Box 3, page 17).

Adds Lotus Foods Co-Founder/Co-CEO Ken Lee: “SRI addresses a host of climate change-related issues, not just water and methane. It builds soils that sequester carbon, reduces farmers’ dependence on fossil fuels for pumping water and on fossil-fuel based agrochemicals. Higher yields and lower costs translate into better incomes, which are a safety net when climate events destroy or harm crops.[ii] Women, who do most of the work to grow rice, are especially vulnerable to climate change. With SRI their hours in hot, wet conditions is decreased.”

In 2015 Lotus Foods launched its Do The Rice Thing campaign expressly to raise awareness among retailers and consumers about the impact of rice production on water resources and women. “We work with more than 3,500 SRI farmers in four countries,” says Levine, “We think that giving retailers and consumers the opportunity to support production strategies that mitigate climate change, reduce wasteful use of water and respect women’s contribution will help us scale this important work and drive positive change in the rice industry. We already see evidence of this.”

Lotus Foods’ newest supply chain, for authentic heritage Dehraduni Basmati Rice in Uttarakhand, India, is a good example of how SRI methods and access to a fair market can create incentives for farmers to change their farming practices. Dehraduni’s superior flavor, fragrance, texture and elongation are what helped elevate basmati rice to worldwide popularity. But to satisfy demand and eke out higher yields, many farmers in India and Pakistan switched to hybrids, which are bred for yield rather than quality. This is what is commonly sold in global markets, and what is available to American consumers. Dehraduni Basmati is a landrace, which means it has evolved locally and lacks any formal crop improvement. With SRI, farmers are now able to increase their yields and achieve surpluses of this traditional rice without new seeds or agrochemical inputs. Organic premiums from Lotus Foods translate into improved household well-being.

Paul Hawken will be a keynote speaker at the March 8 Climate Day. Project Drawdown, his ambitious collaboration among experts across the globe to identify solutions that can be deployed and scaled to reverse global warming includes SRI/More Crop Per Drop™ among the top 100 solutions.