Growing Sustainability: The SRP’s Role in Shaping the Future of Rice Farming

The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), developed by IRRI and UNEP, promotes sustainable rice farming to reduce methane emissions and improve farmer livelihoods. While it aligns with global standards in key areas, gaps in labor policies, governance, and data accessibility highlight the need for further refinement to maximize its impact.

The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), developed by the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), addresses the pressing environmental and social challenges posed by rice cultivation, a major contributor to global methane emissions. This multistakeholder initiative, involving actors from the public, private, and civil society sectors, aims to reduce methane emissions by 30% by 2030 while enhancing farmers' livelihoods. The SRP has developed a robust standards system that promotes sustainable practices in rice farming, aligning agricultural operations with global sustainability goals. The platform's transformative potential lies in its dual focus on environmental resilience and socioeconomic improvement for rice producers, especially smallholders.

Evaluating the SRP's Alignment with Global Standards

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently commissioned an assessment to evaluate the SRP Standards System against its own Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability. The findings reveal a promising but incomplete alignment. The SRP effectively addresses critical areas like resource efficiency, labor conditions, and biodiversity conservation but falls short in other aspects. Significant gaps include inadequate provisions for community health and safety, cultural heritage protection, and emergency preparedness. Furthermore, its grievance mechanisms and stakeholder consultation processes require substantial strengthening to ensure inclusivity and responsiveness to local contexts.

Labor Standards: Strengths and Shortfalls

While the SRP prohibits hazardous child labor and promotes decent work conditions, it has notable inconsistencies with international guidelines. Adolescents aged 15 to 17 are allowed to work up to 48 hours per week under SRP standards, exceeding the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) limit of 43 hours for hazardous conditions. Occupational health and safety provisions are similarly limited, focusing only on essential protective equipment and basic safety instructions, with no comprehensive approach to risk prevention or emergency management. These gaps highlight the need for the SRP to refine its labor standards to ensure alignment with global best practices.

Governance and Assurance: Building Credibility

The SRP's governance and assurance mechanisms show both progress and limitations. Its third-party verification processes enhance credibility, yet its reliance on internal accreditation for conformity assessment bodies (CABs) raises concerns about independence. Best practices recommend using external accreditation to ensure unbiased oversight. Governance structures also lack a dedicated membership category for farmers, particularly smallholders, who are most affected by the standards. This omission risks sidelining critical voices in decision-making processes. However, the SRP's commitment to transparency and its collaboration with the ISEAL Alliance—an organization promoting best practices in sustainability standards—indicate a pathway to future improvement.

Achievements and Future Potential

Despite its challenges, the SRP has achieved significant milestones since the launch of its Assurance Scheme in 2020. Over 46,000 hectares of rice fields have been verified, accounting for 0.4% of globally traded rice. While modest compared to other sustainability standards, this represents an important step in transforming the rice sector. The SRP’s incremental compliance model, which allows farmers to make claims of “working toward sustainable cultivation,” provides an accessible pathway for smallholders to adopt sustainable practices. This stepwise approach is especially valuable in regions with limited resources and technical support, encouraging gradual progress toward full compliance.

Comparative Progress: Learning from Peers

Compared to other sustainability standards like the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the Better Cotton Initiative (BCI), the SRP has had a slower trajectory. While RSPO and BCI have achieved broader market penetration and faster adoption, the SRP has been hampered by its smaller budget and initial delays in developing its Assurance Scheme. However, its focus on a single commodity and its recent efforts to strengthen operational frameworks position it uniquely within the agribusiness sector. Collaborations with stakeholders and funding partners can help accelerate its reach and impact.

Advancing Transparency and Data Accessibility

The SRP’s recent initiatives, such as the development of a low-carbon assurance module to track greenhouse gas reductions, underline its commitment to data-driven decision-making. However, the platform faces criticism for limited public data accessibility. While verification data is published in annual reports, stakeholders lack real-time insights into the platform’s impact. Expanding data availability and ensuring transparency could enhance stakeholder trust and drive market adoption, solidifying the SRP’s role as a credible sustainability leader.

A Transformative Vision for Sustainable Agriculture

The SRP’s standards system represents a pioneering approach to addressing the complex challenges of rice cultivation. By combining environmental objectives with socioeconomic improvements, the platform offers a practical model for sustainable agriculture. However, its full potential remains unrealized due to gaps in labor standards, governance, and assurance mechanisms. For the IFC and other stakeholders, the SRP presents a valuable opportunity to foster sustainability in a sector critical to global food security. Strategic enhancements, such as stricter labor standards, expanded support for smallholders, and stronger community engagement, will be essential to maximize its impact.

With continued refinement and investment, the SRP is poised to become a transformative force in sustainable agriculture. Its ability to balance environmental resilience with economic viability makes it a compelling model for other commodities and regions. As it strengthens its systems and scales its reach, the SRP can redefine the future of rice cultivation, contributing to a more sustainable and equitable global food system.