MEMPHIS, Tenn. Nov. 20, 2019 Ducks Unlimited and USA Rice, the USDAs Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and additional supply chain partners were recently recognized by Field to Market: The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture for their outstanding collaboration demonstrated through the Rice Stewardship Partnership.

The Rice Stewardship Partnership was honored for its combined efforts in assisting rice producers conserving three of the nations most critical natural resources: working ricelands, water and wildlife habitat.

By the end of 2019, more than 600,000 acres were enrolled in the program as producers applied conservation practices to conserve irrigation water, improve water quality and provide critical habitat for wetland wildlife.

Field to Market is pleased to recognize the Rice Stewardship Partnership as our 2019 Collaboration of the Year, said Rod Snyder, president of Field to Market. The scale of this effort could not be successful without strong commitments to advancing continuous improvement from rice producers, USDAs NRCS, local implementation partners and engaged project participants from across the rice value chain.

Field to Market brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, beverage, apparel, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities; and public sector partners to define, measure and advance the sustainability of food, feed, fiber and fuel production in the United States. With the majority of DUs Habitat Priority I regions dominated by agricultural production, participation in Field to Market to advance these shared goals is critical to the organizations conservation mission.

True partnerships share vision and strategies, and invest real time and money, said Dr. Scott Manley, Director of Conservation Programs for DU. We sincerely thank the NRCS and our 20-plus supply chain sponsors who have invested so much to make this collaboration a success.

The NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) provides a foundation for Rice Stewardship and an avenue to harness innovation and demonstrate the value and efficacy of voluntary private lands conservation. Field to Market supports the Partnership by uniting members across the U.S. agricultural value chain and providing tools and programs to measure and drive improvements in key sustainability outcomes for rice producers. Rice Stewardship has benefitted greatly from both partners with a mission to conserve working ricelands, water and wildlife habitat.

We are proud to see NRCS, Field to Market and Rice Stewardship sharing visions and using RCPP as a conservation foundation upon which to build, said Gary ONeill, NRCS State Conservationist and member of the Field to Market Board of Directors. This meets the very spirit and intent of RCPP.

Rice Stewardship financial sponsors and Field to Market members recognized with the Collaboration of the Year Award include USA Rice, Ducks Unlimited, USDA NRCS, Walmart Foundation, the Mosaic Company Foundation, Nestl Purina PetCare, RiceTec, BASF, Corteva Agriscience, and Riceland Foods. Additional sponsors of the Rice Stewardship Partnership include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Chevron U.S.A., Freeport-McMoRan Foundation, Irene W. and C.B. Pennington Foundation, American Rice, Inc. Riviana Foods, Inc., Joe W. and Dorothy Dorsett Brown Foundation, Delta Plastics, Anheuser-Busch InBev, Entergy, Wells Fargo, Farmers Rice Milling Company, Horizon Ag, Turners Creek &Bombay Hook Farms and MacDon Industries.

For more information visit www.ducks.org. Follow DUs newest Twitter feed @DUNews1937 to get the most up-to-date news from Ducks Unlimited.

About Field to Market
The Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture brings together a diverse group of grower organizations; agribusinesses; food, beverage, restaurant and retail companies; conservation groups; universities and public sector partners to focus on defining, measuring and advancing the sustainability of food, fiber and fuel production. Field to Market is comprised of nearly 140 members representing all facets of the U.S. agricultural supply chain, with members employing more than 5 million people and representing combined revenues totaling over $1.5 trillion. For more information, visit www.fieldtomarket.org.

About Ducks Unlimited
Ducks Unlimited Inc. is the world's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving North America's continually disappearing waterfowl habitats. Established in 1937, Ducks Unlimited has conserved more than 14.5 million acres thanks to contributions from more than a million supporters across the continent. Guided by science and dedicated to program efficiency, DU works toward the vision of wetlands sufficient to fill the skies with waterfowl today, tomorrow and forever. For more information on our work, visit www.ducks.org.

Media Contact:
Carrie Patterson
(901) 758-3780
cpatterson@ducks.org