International Rice Day is a day of awareness, celebration and vindication. And although it is commemorated on all continents, there is a corner of Europe where this date takes on a special brilliance: Seville, the great rice larder of the continent.
At THE SUN PLACES we want to join this global celebration by inviting you to discover International Rice Day from the comfort of our Luxury Apartments in Seville, also with a presence in Cádiz, Puerto Banús and Sanlúcar de Barrameda. Because International Rice Day is a perfect excuse to travel, learn and, above all, enjoy.
📜 Origin of International Rice Day: The grain the UN put on the map
International Rice Day was born within the United Nations. It was on 16 December 2002 when the General Assembly approved resolution 57/162, proclaiming 2004 as the International Year of Rice under the motto "Rice is life".
The objective was clear: to raise awareness of the fundamental role of this crop in global food security and its potential to eradicate poverty and malnutrition. It was then that 31 October was established as International Rice Day, a day to continue recognising the work of millions of farmers around the planet.
Since then, every International Rice Day becomes an opportunity to reflect on the challenges of the sector, celebrate advances and highlight a crop that is synonymous with life. And although the celebration is global, there are places where International Rice Day is experienced with special intensity. One of them is, without a doubt, Andalusia.
🌍 A global giant: Astonishing facts
- To understand why International Rice Day exists, just look at the numbers. This small grain is a giant in every sense:
📊 Global production and consumption
- It is the basic food of more than half of the world's population, with a global production exceeding 700 million tonnes per year.
- FAO forecasts indicate that world production for the 2025/26 campaign could reach a record figure close to 535 million tonnes of milled rice.
- It is grown in more than 100 countries and there are more than 40,000 different varieties.
📈 Rice in Spain
- Annual per capita consumption in Spain is around 4.1 kilos per person, a figure that continues to grow.
- It is a source of slow-absorption energy, providing B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium and zinc.
- It is naturally gluten-free, making it suitable for people with coeliac disease.
🧬 Curiosities you might not know
- Its origins date back more than 7,000 years in Asia.
- Rice is the second most produced cereal in the world, after maize.
- In some Asian countries, the word "rice" is synonymous with "food".
🏭 The major rice companies in Andalusia
International Rice Day is also a day to recognise the work of those who make it possible for this grain to reach our tables. In Andalusia, the rice sector is a major economic engine, and there are companies that are true benchmarks.
🌾 Arrozúa (Isla Mayor, Seville)
- Founded in 1979, Arrozúa is the largest primary cooperative in Spain dedicated to rice. It brings together nearly 800 members and produces up to 120,000 tonnes of paddy rice annually. Its commercial brands are Doña Ana and El Ruedo, and its facilities in Isla Mayor are a must-see to understand International Rice Day from the inside.
🏭 Herba Ricemills (San Juan de Aznalfarache, Seville)
- Belonging to the Ebro Foods group, Herba Ricemills is the world number one in rice packaging. Founded in 1924, it processes rice from almost 39,000 hectares of cultivation in Seville. Behind its doors, well-known brands such as SOS, Brillante and La Cigala are processed. And best of all: it offers free guided tours to learn about the entire transformation process.
🤝 Other Andalusian cooperatives
- Cooperativa Bajo Guadalquivir (Los Palacios y Villafranca, Seville)
- Federation of Rice Growers of Seville
- Rice Growers of the Lower Guadalquivir
These companies are the soul of International Rice Day in Andalusia, thanks to them, the region is the largest rice producer in Spain, with nearly 36,500 hectares of cultivation and production exceeding 300,000 tonnes per year.
🌱 Commitment to sustainability
International Rice Day is also an opportunity to look to the future. The Andalusian rice sector is making giant strides in sustainability, showing that it is possible to produce more and better without harming the planet.
💧 ORYZONTE Project
Started in 2018, the ORYZONTE Project, promoted by EBRO FOODS and MARS FOOD & NUTRITION, has achieved that Sevillian rice growers reduce more than 2,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases during the last campaign through prolonged aeration techniques (AWD). The goal is to reduce emissions by 60% in three key areas: water, GHG emissions and biodiversity.
🌾 Integrated Production
Andalusian rice growers have been farming under the Integrated Production system for decades, which combines biological and chemical methods in a controlled way to minimise environmental impact. Thanks to these practices, during the 2025 campaign it has been possible to cultivate 100% of the rice area in Seville, something that had not happened for years.
💚What does International Rice Day represent for Seville?
Although International Rice Day is a global celebration, there are places where its meaning is especially profound. Seville is one of them. The province is the largest rice producer in Spain and supplies no less than 66% of the European long-grain rice market.
International Rice Day in Seville is a source of pride. It is the day when it is recognised that the best rice in Europe is born in the Guadalquivir Marshes, in the rice fields that border the river and have transformed the landscape and economy of the province. It is the day when those Valencian settlers who, in the 1940s, left their land to make ours flourish are honoured.
And it is the day when the Seville Rice Route —which runs through 12 municipalities with unique specialities, from the rice with gurumelos mushrooms of Aznalcázar to the rice with gordales of Dos Hermanas— becomes the best showcase of a living tradition.
It is also the day to remember Isla Mayor, the rice heart of Seville, a town of just over 5,800 inhabitants that produces more rice than the entire province of Valencia. And to look at the Guadalquivir Marshes, that landscape of infinite horizons that is the largest wetland in Spain and the sanctuary of millions of migratory birds.
For THE SUN PLACES, International Rice Day is the symbol of a land that feeds us and gives us identity. That is why we want this story to be part of your experience. Staying with us in our Luxury Apartments in Seville is the perfect opportunity to celebrate International Rice Day as it deserves: calmly, with luxury and with the most authentic flavour of Andalusia.
Ready to celebrate International Rice Day with THE SUN PLACES?
📞 Contact THE SUN PLACES. We help make your experience in the rice capital unforgettable.