Business Lines

Rice

Global Highlights

LDC is a world leader in the merchandizing of rice, a crucial staple that provides more than a fifth of the calories consumed by people worldwide

How it’s made: Rice

Merchandizer

LDC is the world’s no. 1 private rice trader

Distributor

We are one of the leading rice distributors in Africa by volume

Supplier

We supply paddy, brown and milled rice, mainly from Asia and South America

About Rice

Approximately 488 million tons of rice are grown annually around the world. Asia accounts for around 90% of global rice production, 85% of global demand and 75% of the world’s exportable surplus.

Most rice is consumed as white rice (husked and polished), however rice flour is becoming popular with bakers as a gluten-free starch alternative, and rice milling by-products include bran, oil and starch.

Thailand, India and Vietnam are the world’s top three rice exporters, followed by the US, Pakistan, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and Myanmar. Africa accounts for approximately one third of global demand.

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Our Rice Value Chain

Each of our business lines is integrating further across the five steps of our value chain, as we respond to the need for a traceable and responsible supply line from farmer to consumer

01Originate

We share our expertise with farmers and producers worldwide, ourselves or with business partners and expert organizations, as part of our commitment to responsible, sustainable and traceable supply chains

02Process & Refine

Once bought or harvested, we bring crops to our assets for the next stage in their journey. These are ethically and sustainably processed and refined, coming one step closer to the consumer.

03Store & Transport

Our strategically located network of silos, warehouses, transloading facilities and ports allows us facilitate access to market for local farmers around the globe and enable us to control costs and mitigate risk throughout the product journey

04Research & Merchandize

Our depth of marketing and merchandizing experience is our greatest strength. All our platforms and regions rely on our market knowledge to ensure responsive supply.

05Customize & Distribute

We supply products to a wide range of customers, from large multinationals to local manufacturers and retailers

01Originate

02Process & Refine

Once bought or harvested, we bring crops to our assets for the next stage in their journey. These are ethically and sustainably processed and refined, coming one step closer to the consumer.

03Store & Transport

04Research & Merchandize

Our depth of marketing and merchandizing experience is our greatest strength. All our platforms and regions rely on our market knowledge to ensure responsive supply.

05Customize & Distribute

We supply products to a wide range of customers, from large multinationals to local manufacturers and retailers

Our Strengths in Brazil

Brazilian rice is recognized in major consumer markets around the world for its excellent quality, and LDC has been among the leading exporters of rice from Brazil since 2009.

We have a strong presence in local rice origination by means of a value chain comprising highly trained professionals, while our extensive experience in marketing, hiring freight and managing port operations ensures the proper flow of exports.

LDC exports various types of rice from Brazil, including high-quality whole white and parboiled rice to Europe, polished parboiled rice to Africa, and polished white rice to the Middle East and Central America. We also market rice husk for processing and exports, ensuring quality and lead time.

Our rice operations in Brazil are complemented by LDC’s export operations in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, offering buyers access to a wide variety of country-specific options.

Committed to Sustainable Rice

We are committed to achieving deforestation- and conversion-free (DCF) supply chains across our global operations. We are progressing significantly toward this goal, with over 89% of our rice volumes already verified as DCF under LDC methodology as of end of 2024. Ongoing efforts include the use of remote sensing technology to support verification of product volumes and responsible sourcing decisions.

To support responsible sourcing in Asia – where we are a leading purchaser of rice, primarily sourcing in bulk from wholesalers and local traders – we have taken steps to better understand and address potential labor and human rights risks in our rice supply chains, engaging with stakeholders in key origins such as Thailand and Vietnam.

In Africa, we are working with partners to help smallholder rice farmers become more competitive and access domestic markets. In northern Côte d’Ivoire, for example, we established a project with the Louis Dreyfus Foundation to build a sustainable, inclusive and traceable supply chain linking more than 3,600 smallholder farmers in Boundiali to processors and local markets.