More than a billion people - predominantly small farmers in the South - make their living mainly or even exclusively from rice production. These small farmers often have it tough due to the practice of 'dumping' rice from subsidised crops in highly efficient producer countries at below production costs in their domestic markets. This means that in many regions it is becoming increasingly difficult, if not completely impossible, to sell domestic rice at sustainable prices.

In addition, farmers struggle with steadily rising prices for “improved” seeds and the associated agricultural chemicals. To buy these, farmers often have to take out loans  and, once in debt, very few ever manage to free themselves from the vicious circle of indebtedness; ultimately, they are often forced to sell what little land they own.

In 2000, FLO took the first steps towards the introduction of the Faitrade Standard for Rice to open up new markets for the benefit of small farmers. Today a total of 15 rice producer organizations in Thailand, India, Egypt and Laos are Fairtrade Certified.

Fairtrade certified rice is available in small quantities in Australia and New Zealand via cross-border sales from other markets. 

For more information, visit the FLO website here.

More coming on Fairtrade rice soon.

You can search our 'Where To Buy' database to find suppliers of Fairtrade rice in Australia and New Zealand