With grocery bills climbing, food choices feel particularly loaded. Filling up the shopping cart on impulse alone is no longer an option. Shoppers are doing quick math in the aisle, comparing nutrition labels & bag sizes and searching for language like “cage free” or “eco-friendly.” Despite being budget-oriented, shoppers just aren’t willing to minimize where and how their food is made. In fact, recent research shows at least 65% of consumers want to make the right spending choices to live a healthier and more sustainable life. Choosing ingredients that support a balanced diet, keep bellies full and are produced sustainably all while on a budget takes exploration and purpose.

Let’s consider a familiar favorite—rice. Rice has secured its place in pantries the world over with its delicious flavor and fit within nearly any cuisine or dish. It’s rich in fiber, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, selenium and B vitamins. Whole grain varieties like Planet Rice’s sprouted brown rice help in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and promoting stability in blood sugar since fiber takes longer to digest. Fibrous food means keeping everyone at the table fuller longer. Fewer needless snack breaks, fewer items in the cart.

Sustainably-grown rice is emerging as a brilliant solution for the growing list of needs today’s shoppers have. And rice grown in California like Planet Rice is something truly unique. The clay-like soil and water from the river delta in the Sacramento Valley contribute to it being the most efficient rice-growing region in the world (500,000 acres of rice per year—that’s 10.4 billion servings). California rice paddies host wildlife and support biodiverse ecosystems. 

The Sacramento Valley growing region, often called the Pacific Flyway, serves as wetland habitat to thousands of migratory birds, fish and other species too. Global conservationists and wildlife scientists recognize the Pacific Flyway as a critical pathway for birds as they make their bi-annual migrations up and down the western hemisphere. Most of California’s natural wetlands have been covered up because of urban sprawl, leaving rice land as the last remaining wetland. California’s rice growing region now constitutes approximately 95% of the state’s wetland habitat.

In addition to supporting migratory birds, California rice growers are finding new ways to improve the health of native salmon in the Sacramento River Delta. The population has dwindled for years. So, the rice community has partnered with wildlife and research groups like California Trout, UC Davis and Ducks Unlimited to create new solutions to this persistent problem. Research shows that by allowing fish fry to begin their development in rice paddies they become, on average, 3 times larger than when the fish fry begin their development in the river.

Over the past 20 years, California has led the world in sustainable rice-growing practices. Rice growers have improved land use by 30%, water use by 40%, reduced emissions by 80% and energy use by 22%, all while protecting against soil loss and increasing waterfowl habitat in the region tenfold. 

The family farms growing for brands like Planet Rice work to produce nutritious food while helping wildlife thrive. They cultivate rice in ways that improve the environment, leaving it better for future generations. That’s the California difference.

Planet Rice in particular is vocal about the steps they take as a company to make sure its rice is great for the planet. Every kernel is sourced locally (within 100 miles of their Northern California mill), their warehouse is solar-powered and the family farmers who grow Planet Rice employ responsible and sustainable farming practices. 

Shoppers looking to bring home foods that promise flavor, satiety and nutrition all achieved through environmentally-friendly processes can find excellent value in sustainably-grown rice. Planet Rice and their family farms in California’s Sacramento Valley demonstrate that shoppers can cook with ingredients that are not just good for you, but great for the planet. They’re on the rice track too with more Planet Rice arriving in stores every day. Purchase a bag of California rice using Planet Rice’s store locator or buy online if there are no retailers near you.