Is rice milk sustainable?
Source: https://www.tastingtable.com/908699/which-plant-based-milk-is-the-most-sustainable/
Author: Claire Redden
Rice is grown in flooded fields that provide the perfect environment for a process known as methanogenesis, which Draw Down describes as methane-producing microbes feeding and releasing methane into the atmosphere. Scientific American says that this method of rice cultivation is responsible for up to 12% of the world's methane emissions, and is a large reason why a 2018 Oxford study published in Science found that rice milk production emits more greenhouse gases than any other plant-based milk. But, according to the U.N. Climate Technology Center, these emissions are reduced by up to 95% through mid-season drainage alone. To make rice milk sustainable, global initiatives must introduce new farming customs to the world's major producers in China and India, as Food Print notes.