Africa: UN-Backed Label
Launched to Help Shoppers Choose Environmentally Friendly Rice
14 SEPTEMBER 2020
United Nations
Environment Program (Nairobi)
PRESS RELEASE
Bangkok
— A new ecolabel launched today by the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) will
help shoppers reduce their environmental impact by identifying rice that has
been sustainably produced. The SRP - a grouping of over 100 public, private,
research, financial institutions and civil society organizations led by the UN
Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Rice Research Institute
(IRRI)- has developed the "SRP-Verified" Label to reduce the
environmental impact of one of the largest food crops in the world.
Over
3.5 billion people rely on rice as a daily staple, but the crop has an
undeniable environmental impact. Rice farming consumes up to one-third of the
world's developed freshwater resources and generates up to 20% of global
anthropogenic emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This life-giving
crop will also be the victim of rising global temperatures, with production
expected to fall by 15% by 2050 due to climate change, according to the
International Food Policy Research Institute.
The new
Assurance Scheme is based on the SRP Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation,
the world's first voluntary sustainability standard for rice. It is underpinned
by proven best practices and provides a science-based process to assess
compliance. Employing best practices in rice farming can reduce water use by
some 20% and methane emissions from flooded rice fields by up to 50%.
The
scheme will be managed by Germany-based GLOBALG.A.P., which will oversee
approval of qualified verification bodies that will be responsible for
inspection of producers according to the SRP Standard. NEPCon-Preferred by
Nature, a Denmark-based non-profit organization that supports better land
management and business practices, is the first to be approved to perform SRP
verification audits, with several others expected to be approved soon.
"SRP
was established to address global environmental and social challenges in rice
production. The Assurance Scheme offers supply chain actors a robust,
cost-effective and transparent path to sustainable procurement. Consumers are
increasingly demanding that food is produced sustainably, and now they have a
reliable way to choose environmentally friendly rice," said Wyn Ellis, SRP
Executive Director.
With
the new label, consumers will be able to trace the rice back to its origin
country. The scheme will also benefit an entire industry. By stocking
SRP-verified rice, retailers can make significant and measurable contributions
to sustainability commitments and climate change targets. Industry actors will
also be able to de-risk their supply chains and ensure stability by sourcing
through SRP-verified suppliers.
Farmers
also benefit - switching to SRP practices can boost farmers' net incomes by
10-20%. With 90% of the world's 144 million rice producers living on or near
the poverty line, this can make the difference between a secure livelihood and
a family going hungry.
NOTES
TO EDITORS
About
the Sustainable Rice Platform
The
Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is a global multi-stakeholder alliance led by
the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the International Rice
Research Institute (IRRI) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale
Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), together with over 100 public, private, research,
financial institutions and civil society organizations. SRP, whose Secretariat
is hosted by UNEP, works with partners to transform the global rice sector by
improving smallholder livelihoods in developing countries, reducing the social,
environmental and climate footprint of rice production; and by offering the
global rice market an assured supply of sustainably produced rice
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About
GLOBALG.A.P.
GLOBALG.A.P.
is a global organization with a crucial objective: safe, sustainable
agriculture worldwide. GLOBALG.A.P. sets and operates voluntary standards for
the certification of agricultural products around the globe - and more and more
producers, suppliers, and buyers are harmonizing their certification standards
to match our Company's Purpose: the right of every generation to safe food.
About
the UN Environment Programme
UNEP is
the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages
partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling
nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that
of future generations.
For
more information, please contact:
Keishamaza
Rukikaire, Head of News & Media, UNEP
Adam
Hodge, Asia-Pacific Regional Information Officer, UNEP
Read the original article on UNEP.
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