Lundberg Family Farms, a leading grower of organic rice and maker of best-selling packaged rice and rice snacks, announced it is the first U.S.-grown rice brand to introduce Regenerative Organic Certified Rice.
As part of its robust sustainability efforts, the company has also set a goal to certify all the organic rice Lundberg grows by 2027.
While there is currently no regulatory or legal definition set forth to claim regenerative practices, it is widely acknowledged that prioritizing soil health is a foundation of regenerative farming.
Certifying bodies are beginning to emerge, including Regenerative Organic Alliance (ROA), to create standards like Regenerative Organic Certified to substantiate such claims.
Lundberg chose to work with ROA to certify its Regenerative Organic White Basmati Rice.
Lundberg’s regenerative practices for its Regenerative Organic White Basmati Rice include (but are not limited to):
- Prioritizing Soil Health: Lundberg treats the soil like a living thing by feeding it a diverse diet that includes compost and cover crops, which can help sequester carbon, restore nutrients to the soil, reduce weeds, and prevent erosion. This results in an estimated ~100,000 lbs. of organic matter per acre.
- Using Water for Multiple Benefits: Agriculture depends on water. However, California rice farmers use water for more than growing rice. The region’s heavy clay adobe soil holds water like a bathtub so it can be recycled. According to the California Rice Commission, 40% of the water used to grow rice is recycled. Some of the water even returns to rivers and streams, where zooplankton from the fields can help healthy salmon grow.
- Providing Wildlife Habitat: Rice fields replicate California’s once-abundant wetlands and provide habitat for 200+ species. Each winter, Lundberg floods a portion of its fields to provide habitat and nutrition for wintering waterfowl, whose feet press rice straw into the soil, which can help it decompose the straw and turn it into mulch for the next year’s crop.
As an early supporter of California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF), Lundberg participated in the development of organic standards and believes that, similarly, the development of regenerative organic standards will help hold the industry accountable and build consumer trust.
Its first certified product, Regenerative Organic White Basmati Rice, has been certified by the ROA and will be available at Whole Foods Market nationwide in the US and Lundberg.com starting on April 4, 2023.