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Communities in Cambodia, Madagascar and Sri Lanka, a research institution,
NGOs, farmers and businesses are collaborating in a programme to market indigenous
varieties of rice grown with SRI methods to improve incomes, conserve rice
biodiversity and promote human and environmental health.
Commercial rice cultivation in the developing world
is becoming financially and environmentally less justifiable
due to low market prices and chemicallydependent
cultivation practices that raise costs of
production while adversely affecting ecosystems.
The current loss of rice biodiversity in Asia's paddy
fields is alarming. Where many thousands of indigenous
varieties grew in the past, only a handful now
account for the bulk of rice production in Asia.
Small rural producers have been among the most
marginalized and difficult to benefit with 'modern'
rice cultivation and farming methods. SRI (System of
Rice Intensification) is a set of practices for growing
rice that allows farmers to increase yields by 50-100%
without purchasing high-yielding varieties or chemical
inputs, while saving water and producing
healthier plants and soil.
This initiative will use SRI to raise productivity and
improve incomes and food security of households
with small plots of land. Rice produced using SRI
commands higher prices and gives farmers something
valuable to sell to consumers – both locally and
on international markets. The initiative will share
experiences and skills developed in communities in
the three partner countries and help to develop a
stronger market presence on local markets, access to
the export markets of Europe and North America and
Fair Trade certification.
Starting on a pilot basis with partner NGOs and
farmer institutions in Cambodia, Madagascar and Sri
Lanka, the initiative aims to connect farmers so they
can compete in the global economy by exploring the
creation of new markets and developing innovative
marketing techniques for SRI rice as a premium product.
This partnership has the potential to extend to other
farmer organizations working with SRI in countries
such as Bangladesh, China, Cuba, India, Indonesia,
Myanmar, Nepal, Peru, Philippines, Sierra Leone and
Thailand.
