System of Rice Intensification...What is it?
Let me start by saying I never thought I would do a blog post about rice. Rice? But, living in Hawaii rice is available everywhere (apparently even at McDonald's), it is a huge part of the culture here. Even though I eat paleo, I do enjoy a bit of rice about once a week. As part of my studies with the Nutritional Therapy Association we are learning about the importance of nutrient density in our food and using traditional and regenerative farming methods. This grain of knowledge took hold and I wanted to know more. I thought others might be interested.
Rice crops utilize over 11% of the earth's arable land. Conventionally grown rice uses about a third of the world's (yes, the world's) fresh water supply. Just rice. Conventionally grown rice paddy fields produce significant amounts of methane gas, far more than is produced from cows.
Conventional rice farming floods the fields with water. The water attracts mosquitoes which can lead to a malaria outbreak. The continual use of water necessitates the need for chemical fertilizers and herbicides therefore damaging the nutrient value of the soil and the rice itself. All of these factors create completely unsanitary working conditions.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is a sustainable system of growing rice that vastly improves rice yield while protecting our natural resources. The seedlings are planted much younger than typical rice and the rice is grown in fields that are not continuously flooded. Chemical fertilizers are not used, output is greatly improved, and there are better sanitary conditions for workers. Because the individual rice plants are spaced further apart the roots don't compete for nutrients, this improves both the yield and nutrient density. And a bonus of the SRI is improved soil quality.
Father de Laulanie moved from France to Madagascar in the 1980s and spent the next 34 years of his life helping the local farmers improve their rice fields, both in health and output. In 1990 he and several local farmers created the organization called Tefy Saina (which in Malagasy means 'to improve the mind') and then in 1994 the organization started working with Cornell University in New York. It took several years for his SRI method to catch on, but when farmers saw that yields were two to three times as much, without the traditional massive water use, they were sold.
Rice farming is a predominantly female oriented business. Women do the majority of the backbreaking work in the fields. They stand in the stale bacteria and chemical infested water for hours each day. It is hot and exhausting work. Using the SRI methods the planters do have to bend to plant the seedling but they can stand upright when weeding. And they don't have to wade in several inches of mucky filthy water with countless mosquitoes and untold chemicals. SRI rice paddies are gently flooded and the water is allowed to absorb. Conventional rice paddies are constantly flooded under several inches of water.
As with most other crops, most rice many farmers are planting fewer varieties. This decreases the choices in the market and the biodiversity of our food. Our bodies are meant to thrive, but we must eat a wide variety of foods. Most people only eat long grain white rice or brown rice. But there are over 40,000 different varieties of rice.
Rice is a business, in the United States alone it is a three billion dollar industry. The rice market is expected to increase each year for the next five years, at least. With rice being a dominant crop worldwide it is extremely important to source carefully, not only for our health but to have a positive impact on our agricultural system. But sadly most large rice growers in the United States are not interested in using the SRI method or growing rice organically. They argue that it is too labor intensive to work on a large scale farm. It is common for farmers here to limit flooding (they would argue that this saves water) but they add a good application of herbicides and they plant herbicide-resistant rice varieties. Seeds that are herbicide-resistant are one of the major traits of GMO foods.
Approximately half of the worlds population depends on rice for 60% of their daily caloric intake. Arsenic is always a concern with the consumption of rice. The uptake of heavy metals from rice paddies is well documented. Today, many companies test for arsenic and other heavy metals and post the results on their websites. If you consume a lot of gluten free products you will want to be aware of the arsenic issue. Many gluten free products rely heavily on rice as a major ingredient. Be careful to purchase organic foods whenever possible and try to avoid pre-packaged gluten free foods.
It is vital to the world's food supply and to our health to effect change in rice production. As far as the impact on global warming goes, following the SRI method farmers see about a 40% reduction in methane gas. And taking the SRI method further can reap even more positive results.
Lotus Foods has been on the forefront of the SRI movement for almost three decades. They source rice from small farmers who grow crops using the SRI method. They estimate that the impact of this alone has saved over four billion gallons of water, or enough for every human on earth to drink a gallon. This is truly a grassroots movement and today over 49 million farmers in more than 60 countries have converted to the SRI method of rice farming. The company is always looking for heirloom rice to bring to market and new ways to make rice products available to the masses. I have used their products for many years and always enjoy finding new ones they have brought to market. Lotus Foods sales their products in many large grocery chains. Be sure to look for them next time you are at the market.
To see a full line of rice products check out: www.lotusfoods.com
I love this photo of a gentleman holding rice plants: SRI and non-SRI. You can clearly see that the root system is stronger and the plant of the SRI is significantly more abundant in rice and health.
There are numerous studies and chemical reports to prove the value of the SRI method. On average our food today is far less nutrient dense than a few decades ago, our soil is depleted and full of toxic chemicals. We need to find a way back. That way is often through regenerative farming. This creates a healthy environment so the soil can thrive, this in turn produces food that is higher in important vitamins and minerals. To break down just a few facts:
Biofortification of Staple Food
Iron
Zinc
Copper
Manganese
Conventional Flooded Rice Mgmt
71.3
34.1
3.7
9.0
SRI Organic Rice Mgmt
117.3
48.3
7.1
16.1
Effects on nutrient density of these minerals. Measured in mg kg-1
There are a few small farmers in the United States using the SRI method, but most tend only to sell in local markets. Next time you are at your local farmers market and see rice be sure to ask, you may get lucky and be able to find rice grown with this method.
Besides Lotus Foods, Anson Mills in South Carolina is doing a wonderful job of incorporating SRI methodology and other processes to ensure the rice is of the highest quality. Glenn Roberts, the founder, didn't grow up in a farming family nor did he set out to be a farmer when he went off to college. But often life has surprises in store for us and when we follow our passion amazing things can happen. When I happened across his website I was awestruck by his company. And it is not just rice.
The company started with rice, with Carolina Gold Rice to be precise. He set out to revitalize this crop in the south. It had for all-intensive purposes died out in America. And, as often happens the one crop of rice led to other crops, corn, wheat, oats, etc. His farm is certified organic and the seeds are heirloom with the wheat seeds being from pre-1850s - thousands of years old.
He utilizes chemical free organic green heirloom plant poly crops as cover crops, instead of plastics. The majority of water used is from fresh rainwater and they engage in intermittent moist ground soil, not flooding. He has found that using natural cover crops and no-til heirloom rice seeds provides a healthy rice plant that is robust in its yield and 6' tall at harvest.
I wish I had known about this company when we lived in the south as I'd have taken our family on a RV road trip! But, since I now live on the other side of the country I will settle for ordering the amazing products online. They even offer gluten free flour for those who eat gluten free. I plan to order the gluten free flour and the first thing I'm making is pizza on the Big Green Egg!
https://ansonmills.com/what_we_do_pages
Next time you are buying rice be sure to source it carefully. Each package of rice you buy does make a difference, one way or the other.
Another pioneer farmer can be found here:
https://nextstepproduce.com/dry-goods/grains/rice/
An American SRI grower you can purchase from:
For more information:
References:
Carmen, Tim. (2013). Rice grown in Maryland? Farmer sees a future that doesn't involve flooding.
Cornell University: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. http://sri.ciifad.cornell.edu/aboutsri/origin/index.html
Lotus Foods. https://www.lotusfoods.com/sustainability
New Hope Network. (2020). https://www.newhope.com/spark-change/how-lotus-foods-changing-rice-category-paddy-plate
Uphoff, Norman. SRI International Network and Resource Center. Cornell University. Paddy and Water Environment. (2019).
