Project period: October 2020 – September 2023
Mainstreaming Sustainable Rice through the Sustainable Rice Platform
SRP
The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is a multi-stakeholder alliance with a vision to “Feed the world. Sustainably.” by transforming the global rice sector to deliver high-quality and nutritious rice to consumers, help farmers achieve better lives, and protect the environment. Convened in 2011, SRP developed and piloted an innovative suite of tools to offer a framework for assessing farming practices of smallholder rice farmers, guiding improvement, and supporting sustainability claims in rice supply chains. Following field-testing in 2015 to 2017, these tools were refined and released in 2019 as normative tools to guide the global rice sector to achieve sustainability.
In February 2020, SRP was incorporated under German law as a member-based international Association (eingetragener Verein, e.V.). The new SRP e.V. is responsible for establishing robust systems that form the foundation to scale sustainable rice production and market demand for sustainable rice globally, and for providing support to SRP Members to engage in this process.
Our Goals
The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) tools and systems to scale the production and global marketing of sustainable rice are strengthened.
Areas of Implementation
Global (implemented from Thailand)
Approaches
The project works within the SRP organizational structure to strengthen the tools and systems that are most urgent to unlock market-based funds. With project activities and resources fully integrated and aligned with the SRP Annual Action Plans and SRP Five-Year Strategic Plan, the result will be a stronger SRP e.V. and Secretariat that can coordinate and expand initiatives to reach and deliver tangible benefits to 1 million smallholder farmers by 2023, and to 10 million farmers by 2030.
Project activities will focus on providing a growing range of services and greater value to SRP members and rice sector stakeholders in the following areas:
- Establishing SRP National Chapters to optimize country-level approaches and mainstream sustainable practices through policy measures
- Elevating the SRP Standard and Performance Indicators and associated capacity building systems to meet international benchmarks for credible standards
- Engaging in data-driven reporting on impacts for more powerful communications and knowledge management
- Working with scaling partners to drive sector transformation
Expected Results
Project activities will directly contribute to establishing global recognition for SRP as a leading sustainability framework for rice. This includes driving broad uptake of the SRP’s world-class tools and systems by value chain actors, consumers, and international development actors to work concertedly to mainstream the production and marketing of sustainable rice. The project is also expected to result in the establishment of SRP National Chapters in at least five key rice producing countries, where it is anticipated that governments will provide the leadership requisite to deepen buy-in and scale sustainable production in these geographies.
The project will indirectly contribute to improving livelihood and resilience of rice farmers, specifically resource-poor rice smallholders and communities in developing countries, from shifting to sustainable practices. Project activities will also indirectly lower the environmental footprint of rice cultivation, through promotion of practices that reduce water use and greenhouse gas emissions (methane), protect biodiversity, and reduce air pollution.
Project Partners
Sustainable Rice Platform e.V., Ebro Foods Group, Mars Food and Olam International and rice sector stakeholders globally
