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UN-backed label launched to help shoppers choose environmentally
friendly rice
Bangkok, 14 September 2020
– 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.
"SRP-Verified" ecolabel
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
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
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