Attending the Workshop were representatives from the Institute of Policy and Strategy for Agriculture and Rural Development (IPSARD), Department of Economic Cooperation and Rural Development (DCRD), Rikolto, GIZ, Oxfam, Loc Troi Group, representatives of central and local agencies and organizations, research institutes, businesses and cooperatives related to the rice production value chain.
Rice is a strategically important commodity to ensure national food security of Vietnam. In recent years, the national rice production has shown a marked improvement in a direction of clean, safe, high-quality seed production. According to data from (IPSARD), the percentage of low-quality rice (15-50% broken) decreased from 59% (in 2010) to 18% (in 2018). The percentage of fragrant and jasmine rice increased from 3% (in 2010) to about 40% (in 2018). One of the main reasons is the application of good rice production practices and sustainable standards, including SRP (Sustainable Rice Platform).
The Sustainable Rice Production Standards (SRP) is one of the sets of standards that contribute to promoting the application of climate change adaptation and environmental protection practices through the efficient use of resources such as water and industrial chemicals. In Vietnam, the SRP standard has been tested and developed in some development projects. To promote the SRP in Vietnam, a working group has been established with the aim to expand into a network. The core members comprise IPSARD, DCRD, Rikolto, GIZ, Oxfam and Loc Troi Group.
The workshop "Promoting the SRP standard for sustainable rice production in Vietnam" is to share experiences in applying the SRP standards, discussing about the priority tasks and a roadmap to promote the SRP standards in Vietnam. The team's vision is to provide technical assistance to apply the SRP standards, promoting the participation of government agencies and actors in the promotion, application of the SRP standards and promotion of initiatives in market for large scale of SRP adoption. The main activities include sharing experiences, assisting businesses, cooperatives, and localities to implement the SRP and enhancing production value chain linkages.