Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
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EffiesHomemade.com simply delicious …a biscuit for tea…a cracker with cheese …a cookie as a light and tasty snack ™ kale & quinoa vegetable soup mix ™ west coast Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 4239 Summer Fancy Food Show Booth 4120 on a plate, including meat, condiments, vegetables, and curries. The team behind award-winning rice importer Lotus Foods traveled to Indonesia to find their Volcano Rice, which became a sofi Awards Finalist for Outstanding USDA-Certified Organic Product in 2012. "Volcano Rice is unique for three reasons," says Caryl Levine, co-founder of Lotus Foods and 2014 Leadership Award winner. "The first is that it is a blend of indigenous, whole- grain brown and red rice, which are highly prized in West Java. The second is that it is the only rice on the market to be certified as Fair for Life, due to the social and environmental benefits. And thirdly because it is grown using More Crop Per Drop methods, consuming only 125 gallons of water per pound of rice instead of 400 to 600 gallons under conventional irrigation." To import Volcano Rice, Lotus Foods partners with Bloom Agro, an Indonesian organic rice exporter. "Indonesians are crazy about rice. They are the biggest consumers per capita in the world, SRI RICE MOVEMENT O ne of the most important food movements in Indonesia is the System of Rice Intensification, a farming technique that uses less water, protects biodiversity, and decreases the need for pesticides, herbicides, and artificial chemicals. "In Asia, it's the second country in the world, after Madagascar, to try it," says Bloom Agro's Emily Sutanto. The rice-growing method has endured some challenges as a result of limited marketing access and government bureaucracy amid regime changes. The farmers see the benefits, says Sutanto, in that they get a greater yield, healthier land, and premium pricing for their crops. Bloom Agro, under the Sunria brand, saw 20 percent growth last year. "The demand has been growing steadily for American orders," Sutanto says. @ READ MORE ABOUT SRI and Lotus Foods at specialtyfood.com/ onlinehighlights SPRING 2014 67 cuisineSpotlight_indonesia.indd 67 3/18/14 3:45 PM