LITTLE ROCK, AR – Public and private stakeholders stand ready to benefit from increased investments in agriculture and natural resource conservation thanks to a grant from the Walmart Foundation. The $1.15 million grant complements more than $40 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to support on-farm work and education in eastern Arkansas through the
USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership.
“Partnerships and on-farm conservation programs are critical to the vitality of the rice industry,” said Josh Hankins, USA Rice director of Grower Relations and Rice Stewardship Partnership. “With more than one million rice acres across more than 1,800 farms in Arkansas, this support will expand the Rice Stewardship’s efforts and have a significant impact on our industry.”
The Rice Stewardship Partnership brings together diverse stakeholders in productive landscapes to identify shared goals, strategies, and resources to achieve sustainability.
“The Walmart Foundation is excited to provide grant funding for place-based initiatives like this one that have the potential to deliver positive nature impacts at the landscape level,” said Julie Gehrki, VP & COO of the Walmart Foundation. “The Rice Stewardship Partnership demonstrates great promise in its collaborative approach and we look forward to the impact it will create.”