Key Takeaways:
- Riceland Foods received the 2024 USA Rice Sustainability Award for its Carbon Ready™ Program at the USA Rice Outlook Conference.
- The program has distributed over $4 million to farmer-members in 2023, rewarding sustainable farming practices.
- The initiative, part of Riceland’s Ingrain Good Sustainability Initiative, supports farmers in adopting climate-smart practices while helping customers meet Scope 3 GHG reduction goals.
- Developed in partnership with Arva Intelligence, the program focuses on collecting and utilizing farm-level data to track sustainability metrics.
The Riceland Sustainability Team was recognized for its innovative approach to advancing sustainable farming practices through the Carbon Ready™ Program during the 2024 USA Rice Outlook Conference held in Little Rock, Arkansas. Adam Shea, Vice President of Government Affairs and Sustainability, accepted the award alongside team members.
Recognition for a Decade of Innovation
The USA Rice Sustainability Award highlights Riceland's decade-long efforts to create opportunities for rice farmers to adopt sustainable practices and achieve measurable climate goals.
“What an honor it is for our program to receive this recognition from our peers in the rice industry,” said Adam Shea. “This award represents a decade of work in carving out a place for farmers to make a meaningful impact using sustainable rice-growing practices and receive a premium from the marketplace for those efforts on the farm.”
Program Success and Impact
The Riceland Carbon Ready™ Program, launched in June 2022 in collaboration with Arva Intelligence, helps farmers collect and analyze data to adopt climate-smart practices. Participants track data points such as tillage methods, irrigation, and nutrient management, providing insights into sustainability metrics that align with customer goals.
In 2023, Riceland Foods distributed over $4 million to farmer-members enrolled in the program. These payments reward farmers for sustainable practices while fostering collaboration with consumer packaged goods (CPG) and retail partners.
“The Riceland Carbon Ready™ Program has been successful because it keeps farmers at the forefront while creating added value opportunities throughout the supply chain for our program partners,” said Kevin McGilton, Riceland’s Chief Executive Officer. “This award is a testament to the team’s dedication in bringing our farmer-members to the table with our CPG and retail partners to work together to create a more sustainable future.”
Driving Climate-Smart Agriculture
Riceland’s Carbon Ready™ Program is a cornerstone of the cooperative’s Ingrain Good Sustainability Initiative. By assisting customers in achieving Scope 3 GHG emission reduction goals, the program highlights the role of U.S. rice farmers in addressing global environmental challenges.
The program offers tools and support to help farmers adopt new sustainable practices while showcasing the measurable impact of these efforts.
