Better Nutrition December 2019

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Back to Basics
It was 1993, long before the current
craze for gourmet iterations of
rice—Uncle Ben’s boxes were the
familiar go-to for most American cooks.
On a trip to China, Levine and Lee were
bowled over by the taste and appearance
of a black rice they encountered; legend
held that it traditionally had been
reserved for Chinese emperors due to
its nutritional and medicinal properties.
And thus began their quest to bring a
wide variety of whole-grain heirloom
rice varieties to market.
But that was only the beginning.
A few years in, they were introduced to a
new method of rice farming, the System
of Rice Intensification (SRI)—a more
sustainable way to grow rice using less
water, less seed, and no agrochemicals
that results in a double yield for farmers.
“Learning about SRI and seeing the
benefits for people and the environment
is when we realized that growing rice
organically wasn’t enough, and that we
had to rethink altogether how the world
grows rice,” explains Levine. “We have
to feed the increasing global population
with less water, land, and labor. Especially
water, our most precious resource.”
And so that became their mission.
Partnering with small-scale farmers in
several countries, Lee and Levine worked
to emphasize better growing practices
by applying SRI methods, while also
establishing fair and effective supply
chains that would lessen environmental
impact and create social and economic
justice for farmers. “Working with smallthe
Passion
behind the Product
Rice, Reimagined
How Lotus Foods is changing the way this global
staple is produced and reducing its impact on the
environment /// By Neil Zevnik
It was after a trip to
China that Ken Lee
and Caryl Levine
were inspired to
start Lotus Foods.
Did you know that more than half of the
world’s caloric intake comes from rice?
That couldn’t be a bad thing, right? After
all, rice is cheap, plentiful, and nutritious,
and good way to feed the multitudes.
But now consider these facts about
traditional rice production: annually,
it consumes one-third to one-half of
the planet’s renewable fresh water;
hundreds of millions of women do
back-breaking repetitive tasks in
unhygienic conditions; and flooded
rice fields contribute mightily to global
warming by emitting methane gas.
Obviously, something needs to
be done to rectify the existing systems.
Enter Caryl Levine and Ken Lee,
co-founders of Lotus Foods.
“We realized
that growing
rice organically
wasn’t enough,
and that we
had to rethink
altogether
how the world
grows rice,” says
Levine.
holder farmers has taught us so many
important lessons and has enriched our
lives. Having real social, economic, and
environmental impact is improving livelihoods
and creating mutually beneficial
relationships around the world,” says Levine.
Dramatic Results
The results of SRI implementation?
Savings of approximately 500 million
gallons of water annually; women’s
time spent in debilitating manual labor
reduced by half, and their exposure to
disease vectors drastically reduced; and
methane gas emissions from SRI rice
fields reduced by 40 percent. And the
farmers’ yields? Up to three times higher.
It has been a long and arduous journey,
to be sure, with disappointments and
setbacks, of course; and Levine and Lee
still find themselves dismayed by “all
that’s wrong today in our food system,
the corporate control of agriculture, and
the horrible toll it’s taking on our health
and our natural resources.”
But they find renewed inspiration in
the people whose lives they touch. “We all
have to work, so doing something of value
and making a difference by the way you
do your business is truly a blessing.”
Neil Zevnik is a private chef in Los Angeles who tends to the culinary needs of the rich and famous; blogs about food, nutrition, and the environment for The Huffington Post;
and volunteers with marine mammal rescue whenever he can. Learn more at neilzevnik.com.
14 • DECEMBER 2019