West Java, Indonesia

Our Indonesian Volcano Rice is nurtured by the Equatorial sun and produced by 2,333 farmers cultivating over 700 acres of paddy fields in Tasikmalaya region, on the tropical island of West Java. These farmers are using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI), the revolutionary set of rice-growing methods that enables farmers to attain higher yields of more nutritious rice using less water, seed and no agrichemicals.

Indonesia has the most number of active volcanoes in the world, and the eruption of Mount Galunggung of Tasikmalaya in 1982 has blessed the region with rich soil fertility, making the region Indonesia's largest rice producer, and a leading producer of tea, rubber, palm oil, sugar cane, cocoa, and coffee.

Indonesian Volcano Rice is a proprietary blend of rices. Its earthy brown and multi-shades of red reflect the minerals in the volcanic soils, and the extra rich content of magnesium, maganese and zinc is reputed to restore vitality. The brown color comes from the Sintanur variety, an aromatic variety with a vanilla-like aroma. In Javanese culture "Shinta" is the reincarnation of the Goddess of Love, and "Nur" is sun ray. Thus, Sintanur is believed to be a divine variety born from the labor of love and sunshine. Sintanur, in fact, is so well-loved by the Javanese that they often travel with this variety when visiting the other 17,500 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Red rice is an integral part of traditional Javanese culture, marking significant ceremonies such as births and weddings.

Some farmers believe that the dramatic increase in productivity from using the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) is attributable to Dewi Sri, the Indonesian Goddess of Rice, who is pleased that farmers use a rice cultivation method that coincidentally bears her name.

Lotus Foods is working with Bloom Agro, a company in Indonesia with a mission to develop sustainable agriculture and a better life for SRI farmers. It is a pioneer in helping SRI farmers achieve international certification for organic and fair trade rice, and linking them to international markets, so that they can improve their incomes and livelihood options.