Food
Lotus Foods, a global innovator in the production and marketing of specialty rice, joined the Business Call to Action with a commitment to increase the incomes of at least 3,000 farm households by 2017.
The company is paving the way to market for smallholder farmers in Africa and Asia who adopt the ecological method of rice cultivation known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). This helps farmers to grow rice more sustainably to make livable incomes as well as to offer healthier rice choices to consumers.
Established in 1995, Lotus Foods has become dominant in linking marginalized farmers to major markets, having pioneered the introduction of heirloom black and red rice into the United States.
The SRI production method, which is being applied by more than 10 million farmers in more than 50 countries, helps farmers generate surpluses by doubling their rice yields with less water, land, chemicals and greenhouse gas emissions.
Introduction of this growing method to its farmer-producers led Lotus to surpass its early goals and increase the amount of SRI-produced rice it buys from organic-certified farmers in Cambodia, Indonesia and Madagascar. Initially the rice was sold only in bulk, but in 2010 the company launched its heirloom varieties for retail customers.
Suba Sivakumaran, Business Call to Action (BCtA) Programme Manager, said: “Fair trade, organic and healthy products are among the food industry’s fastest growing trends – we are pleased that Lotus Foods has seized the opportunity to improve farmers’ productivity, enhance developing economies and protect the environment.”
Lotus has been an important catalyst for farmers to obtain organic and fair trade certifications, in addition to producing according to SRI methods, in order to earn higher export premiums.
