Enrich Foods has officially expanded the availability of its certified climate-friendly rice, making the product available nationwide under the Great River Milling Brand. Before we get to discuss the product in question, we must try and understand the problem it is envisioned to solve. You see, traditional rice growing methods have long relied upon those fully flooded rice paddies that produce high levels of methane, and therefore, cause enormous damage to our environment. Fortunately enough, though, this problem is solvable, considering if farmers can control the water usage and still produce the same high-quality product, they can automatically make rice growing a sustainable affair. Enter Enrich. Known as the first ever consumer product, funded by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative to hit the stores, Enrich Foods’ rice are grown through a proven environment-friendly process called AgriCapture. But what is so unique about this process? Well, for starters, it promises to cut back on greenhouse gas emissions by almost 60-95 percent, in comparison to your traditional growing practices. Not just gas emissions, but AgriCapture also cuts back significantly on the water which is spent throughout the whole process, bringing that down by almost 33%.
“This rice growing process represents a great way to support farmers who are caring for our planet. Participating farmers receive a 10 percent premium per bushel of rice relative to conventional pricing,” said Tyler Hull, President of AgriCapture.
While on one hand the methodology is deflating the level of gas and water consumption, it conversely promises to improve soil health and promote carbon sequestration. Moving on, interestingly enough, the new approach also makes a point to reduce heavy metals exposure which is pretty much inherent in a traditional rice growing mechanism. This is a big reason why AgriCapture was able to achieve another 33% reduction in the context of inorganic arsenic levels, thus offering a much more attractive alternative from both environment and health standpoint.
“We’re setting a new standard and bringing the first product funded by USDA’s Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities initiative to market,” said Jeff Van Pevenage, President and CEO of Columbia Grain International. “In partnership with AgriCapture, an agricultural technology company that provides solutions to climate change and USDA funding, we will bring 50 million pounds of domestically grown Certified Climate-Friendly rice to households across the country in 2024.”
Making the stated development even more important is, of course, Enrich Foods’ existing stature. Understood to be the consumer products arm of Columbia Grain International, the company’s portfolio currently includes Balanced Bushel line of premium dry beans and pulses, Great River Milling brand’s organic flour, beans, pulses, and Certified Climate Friendly Rice™ etc. Enrich Foods’ excellence in providing these products can also be validated with a look at its widespread Amazon presence and select distribution through leading retailers and major e-commerce platforms.
