By agrimag
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) led the Sustainable Rice Landscapes Initiative (SRLI), an agreement between different organizations to raise a $50 million fund, which promises to provide smart and sustainable agri-solutions for rice farmers and supply chains. SRLI implementation will begin from 2020 to support those who are impacted by climate change.
Reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions under the Paris agreement, as well as restoring lands and conserving biodiversity, will be some of the actions taken. These movements are going to be supported by the government and the private sectors, which will be asked to offer incentives to those who will practice sustainable rice cultivation.
Rice is considered one of the most important crops in Asia. Millions of farmers and their families, especially those from the low-income sector, will dramatically feel the impact of climate change, as per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Rice producing is one of the most affected industries of the change that is happening, but it is also one of the leading causes of it. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Resources Institute (WRI), rice farming around the globe produces as much GHG as the whole Germany.
SRLI are already taking steps into obtaining the $50 million collection, which will fund projects for farmers, particularly in the ASEAN region. This will support regional financing mechanisms for rice landscapes in the area.
This initiative was made possible side by side the efforts of FAO, the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP), the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).
All these organizations have the same goal in mind, which is to reduce the environmental footprint of rice farming in addition to improving and developing new techniques and technologies toward sustainable rice production that would protect the biodiversity and will shelter the people that rely on it.
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