The SRP Standards are the world's first set of standards for sustainable rice production. They include 41 criteria and 12 performance indicators for profitability, labor productivity, water quality, biodiversity, greenhouse gas emissions, food safety, health, and labor safety... The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) was co-founded by the United Nations Environment Program and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) in 2011 to promote the efficient and sustainable use of natural resources in commercial activities, production and consumption of rice. To adopt SRP, farmers and cooperatives will have to strictly follow the farming process and implement the criteria set forth by this Standard.
Since 2017, Rikolto - a member of the SRP Sustainable Rice Platform (2015), has supported the implementation of the project "Rice production according to SRP standards" in several Mekong Delta provinces such as Dong Thap, Kien Giang, and An Giang with an area of 4,300 ha, involving over 1500 farmers. So far, more than 97% of farmers participating in the project have got 80-89 points. In the 2021 winter-spring season, 100% of participating farmers in Dong Thap and 92.5% in Kien Giang scored over 80. Almost 90% of cultivated areas got 80 to 89 points.
"The SRP standards require a combination of chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers, and management must follow the IPM process, applying 4 correctly in production, reducing pesticide residues, increasing production value, and contributing to consumer health protection. After 3 years of adopting SRP, the production costs are proved to reduce by over 2 million VND/ha.", said Ngo Thanh Hung, Director of the Rural Development Sub-Department of Dong Thap Province.
For more information about SRP and Rikolto's rice program in Vietnam, please watch the video:
