Lotus Foods’ Experience Developing Value Chains for SRI Rice

Ken Lee, Caryl Levine
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Abstract

Since 2008, Lotus Foods, a US-based importer of heirloom and pigmented rice produced on family farms, has been sourcing marketable surpluses of rice grown by farmers using System of Rice Intensification (SRI) practices. It presently sources SRI-grown rice in Cambodia, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. Lotus Foods’commitment is based on the recognition that SRI is a more efficient, environmentally responsible, and equitable way to grow rice, especially for smallholder producers. In the countries where it sources rice, it works with long-term business partners who aggregate the rice and process it for shipment, handling also certifications and quality control. In the US, Lotus Foods has the job of ensuring final quality, packaging, marketing, sales and distribution. While the company has increased the amount of SRI rice it imports over the past 10 years, it had expected to be importing a lot more. This is due to challenges on both the supply and demand side. This includes supply chain partners’ initial lack of experience in processing, business skills, and export, as well as access to credit and modern equipment. The price of Lotus Foods’ SRI rice in the marketplace is thus at the upper range due to premiums paid for organic and fair-trade certifications and supply chain inefficiencies. Nonetheless, pro-active outreach to educate American consumers and the food industry about the benefits of SRI has resonated with both and generated growing support for the company’s pioneering efforts to help “change how rice is grown around the world”.
莲花食品开发SRI稻米价值链的经验
自2008年以来,总部位于美国的莲花食品公司(Lotus Foods)一直在采购由采用水稻集约化体系(SRI)做法的农民种植的可销售的剩余大米。该公司主要经营家庭农场生产的传家宝大米和有色大米。该公司目前在柬埔寨、印度、印度尼西亚和泰国采购sri种植的大米。莲花食品公司的承诺是基于这样一种认识,即SRI是一种更有效、更环保、更公平的水稻种植方式,特别是对小农生产者而言。在大米来源国,它与长期的商业伙伴合作,他们将大米集中起来,加工装运,还处理认证和质量控制。在美国,莲花食品公司负责确保最终质量、包装、营销、销售和分销。虽然该公司在过去10年里增加了SRI大米的进口量,但它原本预计进口量会多得多。这是由于供给和需求两方面的挑战。这包括供应链合作伙伴最初在加工、商业技能和出口方面缺乏经验,以及无法获得信贷和现代设备。由于有机和公平贸易认证的溢价以及供应链效率低下,莲花食品的SRI大米在市场上的价格处于较高的范围。尽管如此,该公司积极主动地向美国消费者和食品行业宣传SRI的好处,引起了双方的共鸣,并为该公司帮助“改变世界各地水稻种植方式”的开创性努力赢得了越来越多的支持。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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