Driving sustainability through multi-stakeholder platforms: insights from Uganda’s SRP Chapter

On 6 June 2024, the multiple stakeholder partnership promoting the Sustainable Rice Platform standard in Uganda wrote another page of its story. Key stakeholders gathered at Sheraton Hotel to look at the preliminary evidence of the benefits of sustainable rice farming, following the SRP standard. Based on this evidence, policy recommendations were formulated to support farmers' transition to sustainable farming. The discussions also focused on how these recommendations could influence national policymaking, such as the wetland use policy, which is currently under review.

Wetlands at stake: a sustainable approach for the Ugandan rice sector

Since 2018 Rikolto has been piloting the use of the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard, with over 2,000 smallholder rice farmers cultivating rice in government-established rice irrigation schemes and the community-managed lowlands in eastern, northern and south-western Uganda. This SRP framework encourages sustainable farming practices with the potential to boost farmers' income while safeguarding the environment. However, implementing these initiatives has not been without challenges, given Uganda's complex political and environmental landscape.

The Ugandan government is making great efforts to protect the wetland areas from rice farming, citing concerns about its impact on climate change and the depletion of natural resources and water. However, the country still allows rice to be imported from countries such as Tanzania or even Pakistan to meet the deficit in demand, exposing local rice farmers to stiff competition. With limited market connections, these farmers struggle to sell their rice. Ironically, they are also among the first to suffer from the effects of climate change, facing challenges such as flooding, yield losses and income instability.

Rikolto is therefore gathering evidence of the economic and environmental benefits of the SRP standard for rice farmers and the rice industry. Using evidence from the rice fields, backed up by research data, we are working to sensitise farmers to adopt these practices while also working to influence national policy on sustainable rice production. The ultimate goal is to build up a solid case for sustainable rice production that is profitable for farmers and good for the planet.

A climate adaptation initiative

Rikolto's efforts to promote climate-smart agriculture in Uganda are part of a project funded by the Flemish International Climate Action Programme, which aims to contribute to wetland conservation and climate mitigation by:

• promoting sustainable rice cultivation by disseminating information and building capacity in relation to the SRP standard and climate-smart agriculture.
• promoting the consumption of environmentally and sustainably produced rice among consumers.
• advocating, through a national SRP Chapter, for favourable policies and legal frameworks to support the scaling-up of sustainable rice cultivation practices in Uganda.