Rice is one of the most widely consumed grains in the world, but it is also connected to major social and environmental challenges. When basmati rice from Punjab sailed up as a high-risk crop in 2015, we got engaged: What can value chain actors do to improve the livelihoods of farmers and reduce the environmental impact upstreams? This resulted in a long-term public-private funded partnership where Axfoundation collaborated with actors throughout the value chain. As a result, the Garant brand’s basmati rice is now more sustainably produced, and a formula has been piloted turning aid into sustainable trade.