Tilda®, the UK’s leading premium rice brand, has taken further bold steps to reduce the environmental impact of rice cultivation through its Alternate Wet and Dry (AWD) growing programme for basmati rice, along with other sustainability initiatives outlined in its 2023-2024 Impact Report.
Traditional rice farming uses between 3,000 and 5,000 litres of water per kilogram of rice as the crop is usually grown in permanently flooded fields. By contrast, the alternate wet and dry (AWD) irrigation technique, developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), is a more sustainable way of growing rice that allows fields to largely dry out between floods, resulting in less water use and a reduction in the amount of time rice plants are flooded, thereby significantly reducing the release of methane.
Jean-Philippe Laborde, Managing Director of Tilda®, explained: “Rice is a key staple for billions of people, but sadly the traditional methods of cultivation contribute significantly to climate change.
“Through AWD, we’re proving that it is possible to produce rice in a way that is not only more sustainable but also beneficial for farmers, who are also seeing both cost savings and improved yields as a result of using this method. Through this important work, we believe we are showing not only what can be achieved in northern India, but also across the global rice industry.”
In addition to, and including, the 1,270 farmers that Tilda® has been working with under its AWD programme, Tilda® also provides broader farm advisory services and assistance to a total of 2,500 farmers.
This assistance includes the use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), an approach that moves away from a mainly pesticide-based system to make greater use of alternative forms of pest control.
IPM reduces the environmental footprint of pest control practices in a way that also supports biodiversity. Tilda® also offers farmers advice and free pheromone traps to attract insect pests. This helps to determine pest levels in fields and allows for better targeted – and reduced – use of crop protection products.
Fertiliser use on the farms in the sustainability programme was also significantly lower than on farms outside the programme – and equated to 25% lower per tonne of rice grown.
The amount of electricity used for pumping irrigation water was 27% lower per tonne of rice grown on farms in the sustainability programme, while irrigation water use was 28% lower per tonne of rice grown.
And carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions were 36% lower per tonne of rice grown on farms in the sustainability programme compared with farms outside the programme.
“We are now four years into our AWD programme and are delighted with the strong progress we have made,” said Laborde. “Our goal is to share what we’ve learned and encourage the entire rice industry to adopt practices that benefit both people and the planet. Together, we can create a more sustainable future for rice production.”
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