1 December 2011: The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) have launched the Sustainable Rice Platform, which will set environmentally sustainable and socially responsible rice production management standards, and assist rice farmers in adopting these practices.

Louis Dreyfus Commodities and the Kellogg Company are also founding members of this project. The Sustainable Rice Platform will draw on lessons from established commodity initiatives promoting sustainability, including for sugarcane, cotton, and coffee. According to UNEP, it will boost rice production, facilitate safer working conditions, and ensure a healthy environment, including by better managing insect pests to reduce the use of pesticides. The Platform also will generate higher incomes for rice farmers through the reduction of input costs, higher production, and a price premium on sustainable rice. In turn, consumers and processors purchasing rice grown under the Sustainable Rice Platform will be assured that it is good for the environment and supports farmer welfare. [UNEP Press Release]