Last week, the Walmart Foundation awarded a $1 million grant to Ducks Unlimited to support rice producers in the Mississippi River Delta region and along the Gulf Coast.

Per a company press release, Ducks Unlimited stated the grant will support work through the USA Rice and Ducks Unlimited Rice Stewardship Partnership helping rice growers implement conservation measures on their farms. The grant’s aim is to “increase sustainability and profitability” for rice producers.

According to politico.com, the USA Rice-Ducks Unlimited Stewardship Partnership secured a $10 million grant from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in 2014. However, “only 10 percent of that grant is dedicated to advising interested farmers, so the donation from the Walmart Foundation will complement those efforts,” said DU Director of Conservation Innovation Scott Manley. Manley further explained, “We are working together with the rice industry and many others to conserve three critical natural resources in North America: working ricelands, water and wetland wildlife. The support of groups like the Walmart Foundation is critical to our ability to make this level of change happen.”