Professor Herry S. Utomo, an Indonesian scientist and alumnus of Universitas Brawijaya who now serves as a tenured professor at Louisiana State University (LSU), has successfully developed the world's first high-protein rice variety called "Cahokia Rice."
The revolutionary rice contains 10.6% protein content on average, representing a 53% increase from conventional rice's original protein levels of 6-7%, making it the first long-grain high-protein rice developed for global use.
Developed through traditional breeding methods without genetic modification, this non-GMO rice was created by LSU AgCenter researchers Utomo and Ida Wenefrida to address global malnutrition issues.
Each hectare of this high-protein rice can produce up to 150 kilograms of additional pure protein, equivalent to 550 kg of meat and 4,500 liters of milk, with the U.S.'s 1.8 million hectares potentially yielding 0.23 million tons of extra protein.
Beyond protein enhancement, Herry's team also modified the rice grain to allow slower carbohydrate digestion into glucose, making it safer for diabetic patients to consume rice.
