IMPACT & SUSTAINABILITY
Creating Impact from farm to Fork
Impact
Our impact so far…
Putting conservation at the core of our business has produced positive outcomes for farmers, forests, and wildlife. By proving the profitability of wildlife-friendly farming, we have seen improvement in the economic vitality of remote communities with a significant reduction in poaching and deforestation.
Sustainability
Improving rural livelihoods
By empowering farmers at the forest frontier we are seeing positive impacts for communities and forest. We have been tracing the improvement in wellbeing for our farming families for the last 10 years. By offering training, access to seed, compost and cover crops, as well as guaranteeing to purchase their harvest at 70% above market prices we can see that the IBIS Rice model leads to farming families being significantly better off. We are now working with 2,000 farming families in Cambodia, with that number increasing each year.
Facing climate change
Climate change poses a significant threat to all Cambodian farmers and their livelihoods. Increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and extreme weather such as droughts and floods have become more frequent and intense. As part of our commitment to supporting farmers and their livelihoods, we provide comprehensive assistance with all aspects of rice production to maximize harvests and resource efficiency, including:
– Land leveling and construction of wildlife-friendly ponds
– Implementation of cover crops and community composting
To further mitigate the effects of extreme weather events, we are also piloting a crop insurance scheme designed toto support these families in case of crop failure due to extreme weather events.
Reducing deforestation
We are helping to protect one of the last remaining areas of indigenous forest of Southeast Asia, in the Northern Plains of Cambodia which spreads over 500,000 hectares. Our studies show that in the areas around our farming communities deforestation has reduced by 75%. The population of the giant ibis has stabilised with 20 successful nests per year and several of the other critically endangered species within the Northern Plains are under less immediate threat.
If this all sounds very precarious, it is. The threats to this habitat are still significant. As IBIS Rice grows, we engage with more farmers and more communities, protect more forest and the species that live there. Our work is not done, it is just beginning.
Saving greenhouse gas emmissions
By reducing deforestation we are not only protecting threatened species and habitats, but also preventing significant quantities of CO2 release. It is estimated that IBIS Rice will deliver over 2 million tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions over the next 10 years. That means for every kilo of IBIS Rice that we sell, 250g of carbon emissions are saved.
In many areas rice cultivation is also a significant cause of methane release, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. It is estimated that rice production is responsible for 10% of all methane emissions globally. Intensification in rice farming has led to most rice being grown in irrigated systems where the rice field is permanently flooded, and chemical fertilizers are needed to deliver 2 or 3 crops per year. This constant flooding leads to a transition of soil metabolism from aerobic to anaerobic, which in turn leads to methane release.
IBIS Rice works with a traditional farming methodology and a traditional variety of rice which is grown once a year in the wet season, when monsoon rains provide the water needed for rice production. This natural, seasonal flooding means that no additional methane is generated from growing our rice.
Sustainable packaging
We are constantly reviewing our packaging approach to make sure its production is as sustainable as possible. We use the minimum packaging possible, and the packaging is biodegradable and / or easily recyclable.
Paper Packaging for our rice
We are very excited that all our rice packaging is moving to 100% fsc certified paper packaging which is easily recyclable or compostable.
Rice Cakes & Cereal Packaging
We have reduced the amount of packaging as much as we can, you will see we fill things to the top! We are still looking at a paper replacement for the cereal bag and ultimately for the rice cakes.
Sustainability
Improving rural livelihoods
By empowering farmers at the forest frontier we are seeing positive impacts for communities and forest. We have been tracing the improvement in wellbeing for our farming families for the last 10 years. By offering training, access to seed, compost and cover crops, as well as guaranteeing to purchase their harvest at 70% above market prices we can see that the IBIS Rice model leads to farming families being significantly better off. We are now working with 2,000 farming families in Cambodia, with that number increasing each year.
Facing climate change
Climate change poses a significant threat to all Cambodian farmers and their livelihoods. Increasing temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and extreme weather such as droughts and floods have become more frequent and intense. As part of our commitment to supporting farmers and their livelihoods, we provide comprehensive assistance with all aspects of rice production to maximize harvests and resource efficiency, including:
– Land leveling and construction of wildlife-friendly ponds
– Implementation of cover crops and community composting
To further mitigate the effects of extreme weather events, we are also piloting a crop insurance scheme designed toto support these families in case of crop failure due to extreme weather events.
Reducing Deforestation
We are helping to protect one of the last remaining areas of indigenous forest of Southeast Asia, in the Northern Plains of Cambodia which spreads over 500,000 hectares. Our studies show that in the areas around our farming communities deforestation has reduced by 75%. The population of the giant ibis has stabilised with 20 successful nests per year and several of the other critically endangered species within the Northern Plains are under less immediate threat.
If this all sounds very precarious, it is. The threats to this habitat are still significant. As IBIS Rice grows, we engage with more farmers and more communities, protect more forest and the species that live there. Our work is not done, it is just beginning.
Saving greenhouse gas emmissions
By reducing deforestation we are not only protecting threatened species and habitats, but also preventing significant quantities of CO2 release. It is estimated that IBIS Rice will deliver over 2 million tonnes of avoided CO2 emissions over the next 10 years. That means for every kilo of IBIS Rice that we sell, 250g of carbon emissions are saved.
In many areas rice cultivation is also a significant cause of methane release, one of the most potent greenhouse gases. It is estimated that rice production is responsible for 10% of all methane emissions globally. Intensification in rice farming has led to most rice being grown in irrigated systems where the rice field is permanently flooded, and chemical fertilizers are needed to deliver 2 or 3 crops per year. This constant flooding leads to a transition of soil metabolism from aerobic to anaerobic, which in turn leads to methane release.
IBIS Rice works with a traditional farming methodology and a traditional variety of rice which is grown once a year in the wet season, when monsoon rains provide the water needed for rice production. This natural, seasonal flooding means that no additional methane is generated from growing our rice.
Sustainable packaging
We are constantly reviewing our packaging approach to make sure its production is as sustainable as possible. We use the minimum packaging possible, and the packaging is biodegradable and / or easily recyclable.
Paper Packaging for our rice
We are very excited that all our rice packaging is moving to 100% fsc certified paper packaging which is easily recyclable or compostable.
Rice Cakes & Cereal Packaging
We have reduced the amount of packaging as much as we can, you will see we fill things to the top! We are still looking at a paper replacement for the cereal bag and ultimately for the rice cakes.
Are you a sustainable packaging innovator?
We are always looking for new ideas to improve and would love to hear from you.
Are you a sustainable packaging innovator?
We are always looking for new ideas to improve and would love to hear from you.
© 2023 IBIS Rice
