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Adapting a Global Sustainability Standard for U.S. Rice Production

USA Rice Outlook ConferenceSan Diego, California December 2018

Demonstrating Leadership of U.S. Rice Farmers in Sustainable Production

White RiverIrrigation District

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FUNDERS:

PARTNERS:

START DATE:

END DATE:

WEBSITE:

U.S. Department of Agriculture NRCS; Entergy Corporation and Partner Contributions

Mid-South Rice Growers; White River Irrigation District; Winrock International and it’s America Carbon Registry; Environmental Defense Fund; Carbon Credit Solutions; University of Arkansas; Mississippi State University; Arkansas State University; Entergy Corporation and the USDA Agricultural Research Service

January 2016

October 2019

White RiverIrrigation District

https://www.winrock.org/ms/winrock-sustainable-rice-initiative/?pid=18784

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Winrock International Institute for Agricultural Development

Non-profit organization that works in the U.S. and around the world to empower the disadvantaged, increase economic opportunity, and sustain natural resources

1985 merger of Winrock Int’l Livestock Research & Training Center, International Ag Development Service, and Ag Development Council

Rockefeller family tradition of agricultural research and extension, yield improvement, global food security

Seeking ways to connect farmers to new markets, enhance competitiveness, maintain/increase yields

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Sustainability Initiative for U.S. Rice

2016 USDA Conservation Innovation Grant providing funding for a rice farmer-led initiative to develop and pilot a sustainability standard / certification for U.S. rice.

Primary ObjectiveTo create an inclusive, voluntary process for U.S. rice producers to demonstrate environmental stewardship and global leadership through a standardized, rigorous, credible, transparent and independent standard / certification process.

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What makes a good standard?

Creditable standards are developed in an open and transparent process, allow all stakeholders a means for meaningful participation and are overseen by a knowledgeable and diverse steering committee or advisory board. Creditable standards are periodically reviewed and updated per a transparent consultative process .

1. Relevance in addressing real challenges in the sector2. Rigor in that practices reflect the latest science3. Objectivity because they are based in measurable criteria and metrics4. Engagement because they engage stakeholders in their development5. Transparency because the development occurs in an open process6. Accessible because it applies to a range of participants in the sector 7. Improvement in that a regular process for updates and revision is allowed

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Process to Adapt SRP

3REVIEW

EXISTING TOOLS;

BENCHMARK-ING

2SURVEY

1FORM STEERING

COMMITTEE

6ADAPT

CONTENT 2.0

5PUBLIC

COMMENT Q1 2018

4ADAPT

CONTENT 1.0 (LIMITED

PIL0TING EXCEL TOOL)

9SUBMIT TO SRP SECRETARIAT

FOR APPROVAL OF U.S.

VERSION

8WINROCK PILOT

(ASSURANCE SYSTEM)

7MARS PILOT QUESTIONN-

AIRE 2.0

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Industry Survey

Acknowledge consumers’ demand for more

sustainable products and the value added from

communicating sustainable sources to customers

• 22 Grower Responses

• 6 Buyer Responses

• Buyers represent 75%

of all U.S. rice

purchases

• Kellogg, Nestle,

Unilever, Anheuser

Busch & Walmart

Agree their company accepts corporate responsibility and

works to engage with sustainable suppliers AND

are more likely to do business with sustainable

suppliers

have purchased sustainable rice and plan

to in the future

33%

Have not purchased sustainable rice b/c

they have not found a seller of a sustainable

product

67%

only 2 of those growers

received a premium for

their sustainable rice

29%of growers91%

already engage in multiple conservation programs on their operation to increase sustainability

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Sustainable Rice Platform Co-convened by UNEP and IRRI

Establishes essential principles for defining sustainability

Self-reported, questionnaire format

Establishes action areas and performance indicators

Assurance program and allowable claims in development

Focus on small holder farms in SE Asia

http://www.sustainablerice.org/Resources/#srp-standard

Bhesier Creat.Comm.

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Sustainable Rice Platform

http://www.sustainablerice.org/Resources/#srp-standard

Lessons learned: developed over a 2-year period with broad stakeholder participation

A compact standard: 46 requirements structured under 8 themes, each aimed at achieving a specific sustainability impact

Keeping it real: designed for farm-level impact at smallholder level, each requirement is relevant, practical, and under the farmer’s control.

A tool for improvement: an inclusive tool for practitioners in public and private sectors to drive wide-scale adoption of climate-smart sustainable best practice among rice smallholders

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Sustainable Rice Platform

Farm Management

Pre-planting

Water Use

Nutrient Management

Pest Management

Harvest and Post Harvest

Health and Safety

Labor

8 Activity Areas 12 Performance Indicators

ProfitabilityYieldLabor RightsWater QualityFood SafetyNutrientsPesticidesGHG EmissionsBiodiversityHealth and SafetyCommunityChild Labor

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SRP -National Interpretation Guidelines (DRAFT)

“It is important to protect the integrity and core principles of the SRP Standard, while maximizing its relevance and practical applicability within diverse national contexts - including production systems, agro-ecological environments, socio-ecological circumstances and legal and regulatory frameworks.”

“National Interpretation Guidelines are therefore designed to serve as a bridge between the global standard and local field application.”

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Objectives of Adapting the SRP for the U.S.

Maintain a common platform from which U.S. rice growers can objectively claim the sustainability of their production practices as conforming to internationally recognized standards

1

Include relevant U.S. Federal and State programs that are fully aligned with SRP principles 2Make it easyMake it credibleMake it easy

3

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Changes to SRP Questionnaire Content

Guiding Principles, Activity Areas, Performance Indicators, Questions (46), Scoring and essential performance levels remain in place

Any questions covered by law auto-answered for U.S, producers and removed (32 questions )

Remaining questions to reflect U.S. climate conditions and production practices (Example)

Remaining questions harmonized with recommended practices from USDA or others

Several “U.S. Only” questions added (but do not impact SRP scoring) to highlight practices not covered by SRP

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PerformancePe

rfor

man

ce

SRP GLOBAL US-SRP (subject to approval)

46 Questions 46 Questions (32 covered by regulation, auto-answered)

132 total points% based score

132 total points (67 auto)% based score (53%)

Essential performance on certain questions

Essential performance on certain questions

US-SRP submitted to SRP Secretariat for approval in 2019.

If approved by SRP, full use of SRP claims and logos for U.S. producers

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SRP Proposed ClaimsCLAIM CONDITIONS TO BEGIN

USING CLAIMCONDITIONS TO

CONTINUE USING CLAIM

Cla

ims

(sub

ject

to a

ppro

val)

Working Towards Sustainable (Level 1, Good)

• 33% • meet essential performance

Q20 (pesticide selection)

• Increase score by X points (%, number of actions)

• Maintain essential performance on Q20 (pesticide selection)

Working Towards Sustainable (Level 2, Better)

• 67% • meet essential performance

Q20 (pesticide selection)

OR• meet ALL minimum

performance

• Increase score by X points (%, number of actions)

• Maintain essential performance on Q20 (pesticide selection)

OR• Maintain ALL minimum

performance and increase by X points (%, number of actions)

Sustainably Produced Rice (Level 3, Best)

• 90% and all minimums met • Maintain

Expected release date: Q2 2019

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Process to Adapt SRP

3REVIEW

EXISTING TOOLS;

BENCHMARK-ING

2SURVEY

1FORM STEERING

COMMITTEE

6ADAPT

CONTENT 2.0

5PUBLIC

COMMENT Q1 2018

4ADAPT

CONTENT 1.0 (LIMITED

PIL0TING EXCEL TOOL)

9SUBMIT TO SRP SECRETARIAT

FOR APPROVAL OF U.S.

VERSION

8WINROCK PILOT

(ASSURANCE SYSTEM)

7MARS PILOT QUESTIONN-

AIRE 2.0

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Assurance and Claims

Assurance is demonstrable evidence of conformance with a standard

Assurance is an assessment that provides information for decision on validity of and rigor of claims

Assurance can be a first-level, second-level or third-level review of documents and conduct of a physical inspection or lab tests (ie: verification)

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Assurance and Claims Claims and assurance are connected The complexity and cost

of an assurance system as well as the entities that are allowed to conduct assurance activities in the system, depend on the claims that are to be made (on package and off-package)

Assurance and claims structure are TBD for the SRP and the US-SRP; GLOBAL-GAP is the SRP assurance provider.

Winrock is conducting a pilot NOW to understand what is the minimum level of effort that is needed to provide reasonable assurance for the US-SRP (i.e. how simple and streamlined could this possibly be and is that simple enough?)

AWESOMESTUFF

CERTIFIED

AWESOMESTUFF

CERTIFIED

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2018 Piloting Efforts

Pilot 1 – Winrock – Assurance System

Pilot 2 – Mars – Questionnaire Instrument

9 Producers 4 States Digital upload of all documents (ex. Photos, maps, soil tests, NRCS docs) Questionnaire Open format, exploratory More welcome

Using the working draft of the US SRP questionnaire with their grower networks

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Next Steps

1. Waiting for SRP to post version 2.0 of their Standard (Q1/Q2 2019)

2. Waiting for SRP to adopt National Interpretation Guidelines (Q1/Q2 2019)

3. Waiting for SRP to post and adopt Assurance System (2019 ?)

4. Winrock to submit US-SRP questionnaire instrument with justifications for changes, recommendations for assurance (2019)

5. USDA CIG concludes (Q3 2019)

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THANK YOUsustainablerice@winrock.orgMargaret.Williams@winrock.org

/winrockinternational

@WinrockIntl

/company/Winrock-International