It has been predicted that if the planet’s average temperature reaches 2.5°C above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, half of the Mekong delta, the world’s largest rice exporter, would be underwater. As climate change threatens rice’s future, the EU’s European Rice project is bringing attention to rice grown in Europe and promoting its sustainability benefits.
Currently, rice is grown on 416,000 hectares in Europe, producing 2.8 million tonnes annually. The EU is a net exporter for Japonica rice, which comprises 75% of EU rice production, with the remaining 25% being Indica rice. European Rice emphasizes that Europe’s rice provides significant food security for the continent, and it is grown sustainably, respecting and even improving the environment and local ecosystems.
Rice is a fundamental ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, making it crucial for its cultivation to last for generations to come. Therefore, it is crucial to develop new technologies to optimize rice production.
One innovative European company, Rice In Action, is leveraging rice by developing rice products for food service, brands, and retailers that lower rice’s glycaemic index and cooking time. This technology provides benefits for health, sustainability and productivity. According to Rice In Action, its rice can offer food service clients a 12x increase in productivity while reducing energy costs by 60x.
Moreover, Rice In Action’s minimal processing of rice changes its nutritional properties, resulting in a health boost. The company has been selected to be part of this year’s EIT Food Accelerator at the Haifa hub of the ‘Food as a Medicine’ program. The rice cooked with Rice In Action’s technology has a higher proportion of Slowly Digestible Starch (SDS), which releases sustained energy without causing blood glucose spikes. The rice infusion process can also add precise nutrients to make highly targeted nutrition meals for specific age groups.
Rice In Action’s rice is grown by a small co-operative at the foot of the Pyrenees, which needs less fungicides and chemicals than traditionally cultivated areas, making it a more sustainable cultivation process. Rice In Action also uses valorized vegetables and a manufacturing process that is highly efficient in terms of resources, energy, and water, reducing cooking times radically.
Currently, the company is launching operations in Spain, offering paellas and risottos to the food service industry. The company aims to solve labour shortages in the food service industry by providing quality elaborate dishes based on its rice. Rice In Action is seeking international partners to exploit its technology for verticals and segments, with a pilot plant that can manufacture three million servings per year and seeking interested co-manufacturers for a much larger scale.