UNEP, IRRI back new management standards for rice cultivation

MANILA - The world’s first standard for sustainable rice, which sets new and more efficient standards for rice cultivation, has been launched by the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), a global alliance of agricultural research institutions, agri-food businesses, public sector and civil society organisations convened by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI).

The SRP Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation uses environmental and socio-economic benchmarks to maintain yields for rice smallholders, reduce the environmental footprint of rice cultivation and meet consumer needs for food safety and quality.

The development of the standard was led by SRP members, UTZ Certified, Aidenvironment and IRRI, and draws on global experience in other sustainable commodity initiatives such as sugarcane, cotton, coffee and palm oil.

It is made up of 46 requirements ranging from productivity, food safety, worker health, labour rights and biodiversity, supplemented by a set of quantitative Performance Indicators to enable farmers and market supply chain actors to gauge the sustainability of a rice system, and to monitor and reward progress. www.unep.org (ATI).