European Rice is launching a campaign to promote the quality, safety, versatility and sustainability of European Rice in the United Kingdom. Launched in March, and working with Nudge PR and social ambassador Bettina Campolucci Bordi from @bettinas_kitchen, the campaign will highlight the many benefits of European rice and showcase its credentials to both consumers and the trade.

With a major objective of the campaign focusing on building awareness of European rice, press office activity alongside Bettina’s social campaign will be around educating consumers. This will include boosting recognition of the two main varieties of European rice, including: Indica, a long grain variety representing around 25% of EU rice production and Japonica, a shorter, medium grain, which dominates with 75% of the production.

The campaign will also make clear the benefits of rice production, not only from an economic point of view, but also the environmental benefits to the natural eco system. The river deltas of North Greece along the Rivers Axios, Aliakmon and Loudias provide some of the best rice harvesting conditions in the world and in turn, the rice cultivation expands the existing freshwater habitats which then stimulates the growth of local fauna and flora across the region.

New assets, including a series of exciting rice-based recipes, will form a key part of the consumer campaign which will also highlight the nutritional benefits of rice, a base ingredient to the Mediterranean diet.

Rice is grown on an incredible 416,000 hectares across Europe, producing around 2.6 million tonnes a year, with 10% of this coming from Greece – largely on the deltas of rivers Axios, Loudias and Aliakmon (North Greece). For more information about European Rice, please head to https://www.europeanrice.eu/.