Kellogg Sees Early Positive Impact on Climate from Rice Farming Pilot Program

Feb. 3, 2023

In its first year, Kellogg Company's InGrained pilot program in the Lower Mississippi River Basin lowered the impact of rice farms on the climate.

Andy Hanacek

Harvesting rice on farm, Kellogg's Ingrained program

Kellogg Company’s InGrained rice-farming partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions launched in February 2022, and one year into the program, the early results have been positive, according to a release from Kellogg.

In its first year, InGrained farmers in the Lower Mississippi River Basin lowered the impact of their farms on the climate, using smart irrigation practices to achieve a reduction of more than 1,600 metric tons of greenhouse gases (equivalent to removing 345 gas-powered cars from service for one year).

The pilot program in Northeast Louisiana is a collaboration between Kellogg, its supplier Kennedy Rice Mill LLC, rice producers, agribusiness firm Syngenta and agricultural greenhouse gas measurement firm Regrow Ag. Rice sourced from this region is used by Kellogg to produce Rice Krispies cereal and Rice Krispies Treats.

The program will continue into its second year, during which collaborators will make adjustments and continue with financial and technical support for the farmers in the partnership. Expansion of the program by Kellogg into other regions is under discussion, to determine if similar positive impacts can occur despite different weather patterns and soil types in those areas.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.