Bangkok — A new ecolabel launched today by the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) will help shoppers reduce their environmental impact by identifying rice that has been sustainably produced. The SRP - a grouping of over 100 public, private, research, financial institutions and civil society organizations led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)- has developed the "SRP-Verified" Label to reduce the environmental impact of one of the largest food crops in the world.
Over 3.5 billion people rely on rice as a daily staple, but the crop has an undeniable environmental impact. Rice farming consumes up to one-third of the world's developed freshwater resources and generates up to 20% of global anthropogenic emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. This life-giving crop will also be the victim of rising global temperatures, with production expected to fall by 15% by 2050 due to climate change, according to the International Food Policy Research Institute.
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