DFI Retail Group wins at ESGBusiness Awards 2025 for sustainable rice initiative
The company’s low-carbon rice pilot showcases how value chain collaboration can cut emissions whilst ensuring product quality.
DFI Retail Group has won the Sustainable Supply Chain Partnership Award - Hong Kong in the ESGBusiness Awards 2025 for its Low- Carbon Rice Pilot, a programme that tackles methane emissions in rice cultivation through cost-effective and science-based strategies.
Developed with Thai government agencies, agricultural experts, and academic researchers, the initiative trained 30 farmers in Thailand to adopt sustainable practices such as Alternate Wetting and Drying, a method that reduces methane emissions by limiting continuous field flooding whilst conserving water. Farmers also implemented a straw burning prohibition and optimised soil and fertiliser management to further cut emissions.
The programme’s emissions tracking used real-time, on-farm data collection and mobile-based audits, supported by scientific testing and third-party verification. This strengthened credibility and created a replicable framework for scaling the initiative. In 2024, the pilot produced 110,000kg of certified low-carbon rice, achieving a minimum 30% reduction in field emissions compared to conventional farming methods.
In April 2025, DFI Retail Group brought the product to consumers in Hong Kong under Wellcome’s Own Brand Yu Pin King across more than 320 Wellcome and Market Place stores. The launch was supported by a multi-channel education campaign, leveraging in-store materials, social media, online videos, and the yuu Rewards app. It reached about 290,000 people, with campaign videos generating 232,000 views and news coverage appearing in 95 media outlets.
DFI Retail Group also engaged internal stakeholders and the wider industry in its sustainability efforts. Over 1,000 team members took part in the 2025 Earth Day activities, including sampling sessions to raise awareness of the environmental impact of rice farming. The company also shared its insights at industry events such as the Green Council seminar, the TVB Green Forum, and the Consumer Goods Forum masterclass, reaching a global audience of retail and manufacturing leaders.
The ESGBusiness Awards celebrates companies that are leading the way in building a sustainable future. The awards programme honours businesses that demonstrate outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices.
The ESGBusiness Awards is presented by ESGBusiness. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2026 awards programme and be acclaimed for your company's outstanding commitment and achievement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) practices, please contact Julie Anne Nuñez-Difuntorum at [email protected].
