Would you
agree that the World’s Best Rice
is not just expert-panel-judged and
subjectively beautiful and tasty,
soft or ‘al dente’, slender-elongated
or short and round, white
or dark, fragrant or not.?
Should the
World’s Best Rice not also excel
in additional features, beyond those
subjective ones?
At least, the best rice should be
healthier, more nutritious than others,
low on sugar - low glycaemic index,
definitely grown sustainably,
perhaps organic, fair trade i.e. farmers
receiving a fair share. These features
and their criteria are objectively
measurable, absolutely or against
existing standards and indicators
currently under development in
cooperation of researchers with farmers,
traders, corporate buyers, industry
actors, policy makers and the United
Nation Environment Programme
(UNEP).
Sustainable
production of rice aims to
optimize the ratio of inputs to yields
and to minimize detrimental impact on
the environment (depletion &
pollution of resources). This includes
but is not limited to reducing water
consumption, reducing the use of
fertilizers and chemical pesticides and
reducing pollution, especially emissions
of methane and nitrous oxide.
Therefore, on top of any subjective
winning criteria, from a concerned and
informed consumer’s perspective, the World’s
Best Rice should be the healthier
type of the preferred variety,
sustainably produced and responsibly
sourced.
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