Rice is the daily staple for more than 3.5 billion people, accounting for 19% of dietary energy globally.

Rice farmers are among the world's most vulnerable to climate change impacts such as rising sea levels, salinity, temperature rise, drought and flooding.

Rice production needs to increase by 25% in the next 25 years to meet global demand. -IRRI

Every grain counts: what every consumer must know

The message is clear, which likely rings true to both a rice producer and consumer: every grain counts.

As three volunteer students from NIST International School in Bangkok delved into the rice sustainability sector, they discovered that rice sustainability is a chain of interconnected issues, which consumers need to be aware of.

Through a collaboration between GIZ and the Sustainable Rice Platform, and with the participation of the Thai Rice Department, let us follow Hannah, Paul and Oki into the fields and hear their story.

SRP Standard and Performance Indicators Revision

The Sustainable Rice Platform Standard for Sustainable Rice Cultivation and Performance Indicators were launched in 2015 and have since undergone field implementation in a number of key rice-growing countries. As a result of feedback from farmers and users in the field, these tools are now undergoing revision, in compliance with the protocol provided by ISEAL.

The revision process is intended as a review of version 1.0 (October 2015), with focus on improving the wording of the existing tool. The SRP Standard version 1.0 comprises 46 requirements grouped under eight themes, each aimed at achieving a specific sustainability impact.

An open public consultation was initiated from 15 September to 15 November 2017 to improve the consistency, clarity and utility of the SRP Standard.

Following the close of the public consultation period, feedback will be incorporated in consultation with an expert panel. We will make available a synopsis of how comments were addressed, and prepare a final draft of the revised SRP Standard for Advisory Committee approval in March 2018.

The review and revision of the SRP Standard and Performance Indicators is a priority activity led by Sandra Khananusit and Working Group 3: Farmer Support, Performance Assessment and Assurance. A parallel consultation led by IRRI to revise the Sustainable Rice Platform Performance Indicators will be announced soon.

In the interim, the SRP Standard and Performance Indicators version 1.0 remain effective at this time. A transition period and date on which the revised tools shall become effective, will be announced in due course.