Ducks Unlimited, The Mosaic Company, The Mosaic Company Foundation, USA Rice, and more than 40 agricultural supply chain organizations, including input companies, retailers, farmers, buyers, and food companies, work together on the Rice Stewardship Partnership in the Mississippi Alluvial Region of the U.S. — where rice farming meets migratory flyways.  

Rice agriculture in the Southeastern U.S. is well suited for North America’s ducks and other waterbird populations—providing managed wetland habitat and food resources. This region is also where a vast majority of rice is grown in the U.S. Any water that goes on the field must eventually cycle back into the environment. To help ensure any fertilizer applied to a rice field is used by the rice crop and not drained into a river or lake, Ducks Unlimited and Mosaic are working together to educate rice farmers on 4R Nutrient Stewardship best practices – using the right source, at the right time, at the right rate and at the right place.  

By following 4R Nutrient Stewardship practices, rice farmers can help improve water quality locally and downstream by capturing crop nutrients that might otherwise enter the Mississippi River. In 2015, Mosaic joined the Rice Stewardship program which focuses on 4R practices, improved water management, and wildlife conservation. By 2020 over 715,000 rice acres have been enrolled in the program, leveraging over $100 million in cost-share funding. With approximately 3 million acres of rice grown in the U.S. today, this represents a large-scale effort, impacting 24% of all US rice acres.  

Mosaic’s partnership with Ducks Unlimited is vital to promoting 4R Nutrient Stewardship and conservation practices. For this reason, we are delighted to announce another three-year grant to support this work into 2024. Mosaic announced a bold goal toward implementing 4R Nutrient Stewardship on 25 million acres by 2025. By partnering with organizations that are dedicated to similar goals, we all help to promote and foster sustainable practices in the industry.  

*Photo and video courtesy of Ducks Unlimited