What is Basmati rice and does it matter?

Places of Climate Change (‘PloCC’)

Katherine Steele, Bangor University

Rice breeding has contributed to a steady increase in global grain production over the past 50 years. The emphasis has recently shifted from improving yield to broader adaptations to environmental stresses and resistance to pests and diseases. A new rice variety brings benefits to rice farmers and other beneficiaries in the supply chain. Improvement of aromatic rice varieties is a major priority in many rice growing countries because their market value is compared to non-aromatic ones. Basmati rice started as a local speciality in the Punjab and has now become a global commodity. Breeders in India and Pakistan are developing new Basmati lines, many of which could be marketed internationally. Regulators have approved specific varieties which can be sold labelled as Basmati and set a limit for the quantity of non-Basmati permitted within Basmati products. This presentation will draw from my experiences of DNA fingerprinting Basmati rice for authentication and breeding and discuss policy issues surrounding its purity.