Monday 14 September 2020

Sustainable rice label unveiled by UN-backed initiative

A sustainable rice label has been unveiled by the UN-backed Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP).

Created by the group of more than 100 public, private, research, financial and civil society organisations led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), it aims to help consumers reduce their environmental impact by choosing to buy rice that has been sustainably produced and track the foodstuff back to its country of origin.

The SRP notes rice farming currently generates around a fifth of global methane emissions and is responsible for the use of up to a third of the world's developed freshwater resources  -these footprints could be reduced by 50% and 20% respectively by farmers learning and employing best practices.

UNEP adds switching to SRP practices can also see farmers boost their net incomes by as much as 20%.

Wyn Ellis, SRP Executive Director said: “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.”