Revolutionizing Rice With Caryl Levine & Ken Lee
Care More Be Better: A Podcast For Sustainable Social Impact and Regeneration
Corinna Bellizzi
5 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 18 June 2025
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Rice is a staple food for more than half the world’s population. Although it is usually white, there are many other colors and types of rice out there. Caryl Levine and Ken Lee have pioneered the introduction of heirloom red and black rice to the United States. Joining Corinna Bellizzi, they share how they are reshaping the way Americans see, think about, and consume rice, all while empowering smallholder farmers and promoting regenerative agriculture. Caryl and Ken also discuss how their efforts impact global food systems, cut methane emissions, and empower women in the field of agriculture.
About Guest:
Caryl Levine and Ken Lee are jointly co-founders of Lotus Foods, Inc., the successful organic and specialty rice company based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Husband and wife, Ken and Caryl started Lotus Foods in 1993, pioneering the introduction of heirloom red and black rice to US markets, starting with Bhutanese Red Rice and a black rice they trademarked Forbidden Rice®. Together they have reshaped how Americans think about and eat rice.
Both are passionate about empowering women farmers, creating a more equitable food system and ensuring consumers have healthier rice options. Their work has received abundant recognition. The Specialty Foods Association honored Ken and Caryl each with a Leadership Award, for Citizenship and Vision, respectively. In 2017 Conscious Company Media selected Ken and Caryl to receive their first ever “Leadership for Global Impact Award,” recognizing leaders “using the power of business as a force for positive change.” In 2021 Caryl was among “Real Leaders 100 Women in Impact” which recognized 100 women who are” leading the way towards a brighter future.”
Guest LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/caryl-levine-a507897/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kenneth-lee-871882b/
Guest Website: https://www.lotusfoods.com
Guest Social:
https://www.TikTok.com/@LotusFoods
https://www.Instagram.com/LotusFoods/
https://www.Facebook.com/LotusFoods
https://www.Pinterest.com/LotusFoods/
Additional Resources Mentioned:
Rice Is Life by Caryl Levine & Ken Lee
Show Notes: Raw audio
00:02:37 - Caryl Levine And Ken Lee Of Lotus Foods
00:10:06 - Understanding Regenerative Organic Certification
00:21:55 - Raising Rice The Right Way
00:26:40 - The Feminization Of Agriculture
00:30:20 - Rice Varieties And Their Health Benefits
00:34:34 - Tips For Cooking Black, Red, And Brown Rice Easier
00:39:39 - Caryl And Ken’s Favorite Recipes
00:45:41 - Potential Policy Shifts For Regenerative Agriculture
00:49:20 - Balancing Premium Sourcing And Pricing
00:54:46 - Reconnecting To Food Culture
00:58:48 - Shop, Cook, And Eat In Line With Regeneration
01:01:47 - What’s Next For Lotus Foods
01:06:59 - Caryl And Ken’s Closing Words
01:09:09 - Episode Wrap-up And Closing Words
JOIN OUR CIRCLE. BUILD A GREENER FUTURE:
🌴 Subscribe to our newsletter, and we’ll plant a tree in your honor!
🌲 Subscribe and rate us wherever you listen, and we’ll plant another tree
Follow us on social media:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/caremorebebetter
TikTok: https://tiktok.com/@circleb.co
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/caremorebebetter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CareMoreBeBetter
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/care-more-be-better
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | For me, it also has to do with more corporate and private support for the smallholder farmer |
| 0:08.0 | and for these systems. Outside of government subsidies, I think it's up to the corporations |
| 0:15.2 | that are working with the stakeholders, with the smallholder farmers to find ways to support them. |
| 0:22.5 | More private philanthropy needs to go to creating a more regenerative and sustainable food system. |
| 0:29.6 | I think we've depended upon the government too long and too much. |
| 0:34.7 | And I think they have a role. |
| 0:36.5 | But I think companies and private sector, and that |
| 0:40.4 | includes consumers, can play a really important role as well. |
| 0:44.3 | Welcome to Care More Be Better, a podcast for people like you who care about the social impact |
| 0:50.5 | of conscious companies and everyday heroes. Hear inspiring stories from those who put people in planet before profit and personal gain. |
| 0:59.1 | You'll learn how you can make a difference, vote with your dollars, and get involved today. |
| 1:03.9 | Here's your host, Karina Belizzi. |
| 1:07.7 | Welcome to Care More Be Better, a podcast for people like you who care about our planet, |
| 1:13.3 | our communities, and the choices that we make every single day. As of today, our community has |
| 1:18.3 | planted 15,761 trees through our partnership with forestplanet.org. We're well on our way to our |
| 1:26.4 | 2025 goal of planting 20,000 trees this year. |
| 1:30.1 | Remember, we plant a tree for every single new subscriber and follower on YouTube, |
| 1:36.1 | Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and via our newsletter at care more be better.com. That means you can help |
| 1:43.2 | us plant up to four trees yourself. So if you |
| 1:46.4 | haven't already, click that follow button and help us grow a greener future. Today, I'm honored |
| 1:52.1 | to welcome back two pioneers of regenerative food systems, Carol Levine and Ken Lee, co-founders of |
| 1:58.9 | Lotus Foods and authors of the incredible historical cookbook. |
... |
Transcript will be available on the free plan in 15 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Corinna Bellizzi, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Corinna Bellizzi and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.