The Rice Project
Rice- Africa to America
Rice is an important part of the story of the African diaspora and early American history. Cultivated for millennia in parts of Western Africa, known as the Rice Coast, rice is a cultural touchstone and staple crop. Witnessing the innovations and expertise of the West African rice farmers, European enslavers specifically captured African farmers in order to grow rice to feed the slave ships and the New World colonies.
In the US, the African farmers were brought to South Carolina to replicate their rice production prowess in the swampy forested area of the Low Country. This led to rice becoming one of America’s first cash crops in the 1700s and making South Carolina the second richest colony, and America on her way to becoming a financial superpower. All from the unpaid hard work of enslaved African rice farmers.
Today, Jubilee Justice is reclaiming our heritage as experienced rice farmers. This time it is for our benefit with complete ownership from seed to mill to market.
System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
As concerned stewards of the land, our innovative flagship program centers around organic, climate-friendly specialty rice. The System of Rice Intensification (SRI), developed on Madagascar in the 80s, is a holistic no-till regenerative approach for sustainable rice cultivation. It benefits soil and root systems while lowering the inputs required for production and increasing crop yields.
SRI Approach and Results
The benefits of this rice producing system compared to conventional rice production in flooded paddies:
Uses 80-90% fewer seeds
Water inputs drop by 25- 50%
Emits 40% less methane gas
Produces 50% more yield than conventional rice production
Jubilee Justice Specialty Foods = Shared Prosperity
Owning the means of production in the middle of the supply chain has almost always been out of reach for most Black farmers. Insuring that our coop farmer members receive the financial lion share of their work, we have built a solar powered rice mill that allows us to cut out the middle person and retain all of our earnings. Because of our farmer coop and the assets we have built we have created the conditions for self-determination and shared prosperity.
"Our SRI Rice Project sits perfectly at the intersection of economic justice and climate justice.
Addressing two of our most pressing problems.
-Konda Mason, President/Co-founder
Photo credit: Jubilee Justice Mill
