BRI Project · 5 min read
Another Rice Harvest in Longsheng — Five Years of Growing Together
Another Rice Harvest in Longsheng — Five Years of Growing Together
Another rice harvest has come to an end in the mountains of Longsheng. For the fifth year in a row, Viori has worked alongside the farmers of Yujiazhai village to grow the rice used in our shampoo and conditioner bars.
This year's harvest brought some particularly encouraging news. Although Viori purchased less rice than in previous years, the farmers were able to secure a substantial order from another buyer. For us, this is an important milestone in a project that has always been about much more than purchasing rice.
Five years of working together
Yujiazhai is one of the most remote villages in Longsheng. Farming here is no easy task. The mountainous terrain makes much of the work labor-intensive, and rice cultivation requires months of care before the crop can finally be harvested.
When we first began working with the local farmers five years ago, we wanted to find a way to support their livelihoods while encouraging farming practices that would preserve the land for future generations.
One of our main goals was to help the farmers obtain organic certification for their rice. Although the rice had traditionally been grown using natural methods, obtaining official certification required a lengthy and costly process.
Viori committed to covering the substantial costs involved, including certification fees, inspections, and the necessary training and improvements. After three years of work, the farmers successfully obtained their organic certification.
Besides supporting the certification process, Viori has also committed to paying the farmers approximately twice the regular market price for the rice we purchase. This provides additional income for the participating families while recognizing the time and effort that goes into producing their crop.
A positive development beyond Viori
From the beginning, one of our hopes was that the organic rice project would eventually create opportunities beyond Viori itself.
After all, the amount of rice we use in our products is relatively small compared to what the farmers can produce. We never wanted the cooperative's future to depend entirely on how much rice Viori purchases each year.
This year provided a welcome example of that idea becoming reality.
As Viori purchased less rice than in previous years, we were naturally concerned about how this might affect the farmers. Fortunately, the cooperative attracted interest from other buyers who had learned about the organic rice project. One of them placed a substantial order, helping make up for the reduced purchases from Viori.
For us, this is perhaps one of the most encouraging developments of the entire project.
It shows that the farmers now have something valuable to offer the wider market: a certified organic product, supported by years of experience and hard work.
There is still plenty of work ahead to develop stable sales channels, and we don't expect every year to be equally successful. But seeing other buyers recognize the value of the farmers' rice is an important step toward the cooperative becoming more independent.
Ultimately, this is what we hope our Beautiful Reason Initiatives can achieve: creating opportunities that continue to grow beyond Viori's direct involvement.
An evening with the farmers
With the harvest completed, we also wanted to take a moment to thank the people who make this project possible.
Viori invited all the participating farmers to an appreciation dinner in the village. After another long year of planting, tending the fields, and harvesting the rice, it was a welcome opportunity to sit down together without having to discuss orders, certification requirements, or farming schedules.
We shared a meal and talked about the past year. The difficulties the farmers had faced, the things that had gone well, their families, and their hopes for the coming seasons.
And as the evening went on, there was singing and dancing too.
These are the moments that remind us why we value our work in Longsheng so much.
When we first started visiting Yujiazhai, it was a remote village far away from our everyday lives. We came to learn about the Red Yao and their rice-growing traditions, and eventually began working together on a farming project.
Five years later, the relationships have become something much more personal.
We have shared meals, celebrated successes, worked through difficulties, and watched each other's families and lives change over the years.
Despite the distance between us, these farmers and their families have come to feel like family to us too.
Looking ahead
As we enter our sixth year of working together, we are grateful to see how far the rice project has come.
The farmers have achieved organic certification, developed their farming practices, and are beginning to find customers beyond Viori. These developments are encouraging, especially as we continue learning how to support projects without creating long-term dependency.
Of course, there will be challenges ahead. Farming is never predictable, and building a reliable market for organic rice takes time.
But this year's harvest has given us another reason to feel optimistic.
We are grateful to the farmers of Yujiazhai for their hard work, their trust, and the friendship they have shown us over the past five years.
And to our customers, thank you for making this partnership possible. Your support has helped us invest in something that we hope will continue benefiting the farmers and their families for many years to come.
