Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP)
Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) plays a pivotal role in ensuring that rice production is environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable. OneCert helps maintain the integrity of the SRP certification process and fosters the global transition to more sustainable rice farming practices.
Role of OneCert in SRP certification:
1. Independent Auditing and Verification
- OneCert is are responsible for conducting independent audits of rice farms, mills, and other stakeholders in the rice supply chain.
- These audits assess compliance with the SRP’s sustainability standards, which include criteria related to environmental impacts (like water management, pesticide use, and soil health), social aspects (such as fair labour practices and community wellbeing), and economic aspects (ensuring profitability and resilience for farmers).
2. Ensuring Credibility and Transparency
- OneCert helps ensure transparency in the rice supply chain. By conducting audits and issuing certification based on the SRP criteria, OneCert provides independent assurance to stakeholders (including consumers, businesses, and NGOs) that rice production is done sustainably.
- It verifies that the practices employed by rice producers are genuinely aligned with SRP guidelines, ensuring that the rice is produced in a socially and environmentally responsible manner.
3. Building Trust with Consumers and Markets
- OneCert allows the SRP-certified rice to be recognized in the marketplace as meeting globally recognized sustainability standards.
- It provides consumers, retailers, and supply chain partners with confidence that the rice they are purchasing and selling is sustainably produced, which can be a significant market differentiator, especially in regions where there is growing demand for sustainably sourced products.
4. Training and Capacity Building
- OneCert provides training and capacity-building services for rice farmers and stakeholders in the supply chain. This ensures that stakeholders fully understand the SRP standards and are better equipped to comply with them.
- They may assist in improving farming practices, water use efficiency, and reducing carbon footprints, helping farmers achieve and maintain certification over time.
5. Continuous Improvement
- We ensure continuous improvement in rice farming practices. When an audit identifies gaps or areas of non-compliance, OneCert provides guidance on how to address these issues, ensuring that producers not only meet SRP criteria but also improve their sustainability practices over time.
- We also ensure that producers are re-assessed periodically, ensuring ongoing compliance with evolving SRP standards.
6. Standardization of Practices
- By enforcing SRP’s standardized sustainability criteria, third-party certifiers help to standardize practices across the rice industry, providing consistency and fairness. This reduces the risk of “greenwashing” (false claims of sustainability) and ensures that the SRP certification truly represents sustainable rice production.
7. Facilitating Market Access
- OneCert certification of rice under SRP can help producers access new and more lucrative markets, particularly those in regions with high demand for sustainably sourced food products.
- Certified rice can be sold with greater confidence to international markets where sustainability is a key consideration, such as in Europe or North America.
8. Monitoring and Reporting
- OneCert also contribute to monitoring progress on sustainability goals, such as reductions in water usage, pesticide application, and greenhouse gas emissions. They provide reports on these metrics, which are crucial for maintaining the credibility of the SRP initiative and ensuring progress towards its long-term sustainability objectives.
9. Impartiality and Objectivity
- As independent entity, OneCert ensure that audits and certification decisions are made impartially, without conflicts of interest. This ensures that the certification process is credible, trustworthy, and reflects the actual practices on the ground.
10. Ensuring Compliance with Local and Global Regulations OneCert ensures that rice farming practices comply not only with SRP standards but also with local and international environmental and social regulations.