Rice Love gives rice to families in need with each purchase
Rice Love strives to help end world hunger, increase education about poverty and recycle readily-available materials into beautiful and usable statement pieces.
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Rice Love makes bags, backpacks, clothing and accessories. For each purchase, the company delivers one kilo (2.2 pounds) of rice to a family in India, the primary food in the country.
Related: This backpack is made from locally sourced cork and recycled materials
The company was born out of a passion to do good for people and the environment. Founders Coney and Corbin came from strikingly different backgrounds, yet found a common desire after meeting in 2013. Coney was born into an extremely poor family in an area of India with few opportunities. After his father managed to send him to America for school, Coney felt an unquestionable draw to help his native countrymen upon his return to India.
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On the other hand, Corbin was born in California. After some travel and work with the poor in South America, he ended up in Hawaii. From his home on the islands, he is passionate about helping those less fortunate. Now living in separate parts of the world, Coney and Corbin run their business on a global level. Meanwhile, each purchase provides a positive impact for families and workers in India.
Furthermore, the company organizes trips that include tours of India. There is an opportunity to meet the families and deliver the rice personally. Even without catching a flight, customers can connect with the families who benefit from their purchase. Each bag is adorned with an identifying tag. Thereby, customers enter the tag number on the website to see pictures and find out more about the family who received the rice. Providing this staple allows families in India to divert money away from food for things like medical care or education.
In addition, Rice Love prioritizes Fair Trade material selections and employee treatment. For the bags, they buy burlap rice bags locally from India. The material is then recycled into unique handmade bags, each different from the next. The bags in the Recycled Collection are made from plant-based fibers, biodegradable and eco-friendly.
“We have given over 50,000 kilos of rice,” Rice Love said. “There are an equal number of wanderers wearing our bags and sharing our story around the world. Our goal is to give 1 million kilos of rice by the end of 2024. We invite you to join the movement. Buy a bag. Feed a family.”