Increasing food sovereignty, resource efficiency and the cultivation and consumption of plant proteins are central to the Swiss food strategy. The project "RiceUp" addresses these three levels: It creates an innovative solution for the integration of by-products from rice production into the local value chain. Rice bran and rice husks for instance have so far mostly been composted. In pilot trials, these are to be tested as a component of a substrate for mushrooms.
This innovative upcycling valorizes by-products of rice production and diversifies potential Swiss raw material sources for mushroom cultivation in Switzerland. Nutrients from waste products of rice production thus become available as vegetable protein sources for human nutrition. To maximize the impact on the local and regional food system, the results of the project will be communicated. The project aims to inspire selected actors in the value chain and stimulate the valorization of further side streams.
Project manager
The project is based on the collaboration between a wet rice producer from Vully (Riz du Vully, in German or French) and a mushroom producer from the Comme de Treyvaux (monsieur Ben, in French), with scientific support from the Food Processing Group at FiBL.
