Bangkok, Thailand, 26 March 2019 – A major new consortium today announced the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative (SRLI), an agreement to deliver smart and sustainable agri-solutions for rice farmers and supply chains supported by a USD $50 million funding proposal.
Announced at the opening of the 2019 Responsible Business Forum on Food and Agriculture in Bangkok, the SRLI will support the sustainable production of rice in Southeast Asia from 2020 to assist farmers and supply chains adversely impacted by climate change in the region.
The actions will focus on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions under the Paris Agreement, restoring degraded land and conserving biodiversity through activities such as policy support for governments, sustainable farming practices and management of water and forests, involving the private sector to incentivise sustainable rice culivation and increasing knowledge and collaboration between parties on sustainable rice solutions.
The SRLI brings together a range of organizations, including international agencies, with extensive experience in supporting sustainable production; research institutions at the forefront in the development of technical knowledge; and the private sector.
The Initiative is led by UN Environment, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
As one of Southeast Asia’s most important crops, rice is the economic backbone for millions of farmers. According to IPCC, both yields and the nutritional value of rice will face net reductions as temperatures continue to rise. Millions of farmers and families, especially those with low incomes, will feel the impact of this change. At the same time, to meet global demand, production must increase by 25% by 2050.
Rice is a leading contributor to, and victim of, climate change. According to FAO and the World Resources Institute (WRI), every year, global rice farming produces approximately the same amount of GHG emissions as Germany. These emissions are primarily methane released by rotting vegetation, known as rice straw, lying in water-soaked paddy fields. Methane is 34 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Methane emissions can be reduced by up to 70% just through the introduction of climate-smart agricultural practices such as removing this rice straw, but farmers need training and support to implement changes in their farming practice.
SRLI is now developing a USD $50 million proposal for a Global Impact Program to be funded by the Global Environment Facility, targeting a number of Asian countries for national-level actions and market-based mechanisms along the supply chain.
The SRLI consortium expects to receive significant funding for projects in the ASEAN region, with work to start in 2020. To achieve scale, SRLI is calling upon governments and international funding bodies to support regional financing mechanisms that enable replicable solutions for rice landscapes covering several Southeast Asian countries.
“We are proud to be a founding member of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative. WBCSD is committed to developing innovative, climate-smart, collaborative solutions that will transform the food system and help to ensure both healthy people and a healthy planet”, said Peter Bakker, President and CEO of WBCSD.
“SRP and its 100 institutional partners are fully committed to this Consortium, which will drive wide-scale adoption of climate-smart, sustainable rice production among rice smallholders, using the world’s first Rice Sustainability Standard and Indicators”, said Wyn Ellis, SRP Coordinator.
“Through the consortium and the implementation of the world’s first rice sustainability standard, we will not only strengthen environmental sustainability in rice production landscapes, but also help smallholder farmers to become more competitive, inclusive and resilient”, said Dr Matthias Bickel, GIZ Project Director of the Agriculture and Food Cluster in Thailand.
Kundhavi Kadiresan, FAO Assistant Director General for Asia and the Pacific: “By working in partnership to apply scientific advances and best practices in rice landscapes, the SRLI consortium is a unique vehicle to deliver global benefits for the climate, land and water resources and biodiversity, while also ensuring the food security needs of billions of people in Asia and around the world.”
“IRRI promotes improvements in the environmental footprint of rice farming. Solutions will come from the combined efforts of many partners. As part of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative, we will share our science, technologies, and expertise in rice research to help deliver environmental sustainability to farmers and other key actors in the rice sector”, said Dr Matthew Morell, Director General of IRRI.
“UN Environment is proud to be a member of the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative consortium. Sustainable rice production is one remedy that can fix a host of issues. It can help us fight climate change, protect biodiversity and restore landscapes and simultaneously safeguard rice farming communities and the billions of people that rely on them”, said Dechen Tsering, Regional Director, UN Environment Asia and the Pacific Office.
About WBCSD
WBCSD is a global, CEO-led organization of over 200 leading businesses working together to accelerate the transition to a sustainable world. We help make our member companies more successful and sustainable by focusing on the maximum positive impact for shareholders, the environment and societies.
Our member companies come from all business sectors and all major economies, representing a combined revenue of more than USD $8.5 trillion and 19 million employees. Our global network of almost 70 national business councils gives our members unparalleled reach across the globe. WBCSD is uniquely positioned to work with member companies along and across value chains to deliver impactful business solutions to the most challenging sustainability issues.
Together, we are the leading voice of business for sustainability: united by our vision of a world where more than 9 billion people are all living well and within the boundaries of our planet, by 2050.
About FAO
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. Our goal is to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active, healthy lives. With over 194 member states, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide. We believe that everyone can play a part in ending hunger.
About German International Cooperation Agency
GIZ is Germany’s leading provider in the field of international cooperation services. As a service provider with worldwide operations in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development, GIZ works together with its partners to develop effective solutions that offer people better prospects and sustainably improve their living conditions. GIZ is a public-benefit federal enterprise and supports the German Government as well as many public and private sector clients in a wide variety of areas, including economic development and employment, rural development, energy and the environment, and peace and security.
About the International Rice Research Institute
The International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is the world’s premier research organization dedicated to reducing poverty and hunger through rice science; improving the health and welfare of rice farmers and consumers; and protecting the rice-growing environment for future generations. IRRI is an independent, nonprofit, research and educational institute, founded in 1960 by the Ford and Rockefeller foundations with support from the Philippine government. The institute, headquartered in Los Baños, Philippines, has offices in 17 rice-growing countries in Asia and Africa, and over 1,000 staff.