Ebro Group has been recognised with one of the Sustainability Actions 2026 awards for the sustainable basmati rice farming programme carried out in northern India through Tilda, Ebro India and the Ebro Foundation. The award was presented on 27 October at the Reina Sofía Museum in Madrid, during the Sustainability Day 2026 event, one of the leading gatherings on corporate sustainability held in Spain.
The initiative works with local farmers to move towards a more efficient and sustainable farming model. One of its main lines of action is the implementation of the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) irrigation technique, which alternates cycles of irrigation and drying instead of permanently flooding the paddy fields. This practice reduces water consumption and the methane emissions associated with rice cultivation, while also improving the yield and profitability of farms.
The scope of the project is reflected in Tilda’s 2025 Impact Report. The programme now brings together 3,840 farms and covers 15,314 hectares. Between 2023 and 2025, it avoided an annual average of 22.7 million kilograms of CO₂e and saved 36.9 billion litres of irrigation water per year. Over the same period, participating farmers recorded an average annual increase in income of 7.5% compared with farms outside the programme.
This recognition adds to those received by Tilda during 2026 for the same programme, including the edie, UK Green Business and Food and Drink Federation awards. It is a project that shows how sustainability can deliver environmental benefits and, at the same time, positive economic and social results.
Congratulations to Tilda, Ebro India, the Ebro Foundation and all the teams that help make it possible.
