Indonesia’s SRP national working group: charting the way to a sustainable rice sector in Indonesia

On 31 October 2023, Indonesia’s Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) National Working Group (NWG) was formed by a collaboration between Rikolto, Preferred by Nature and The People’s Coalition for Food Sovereignty (KRKP), as well as representatives of relevant private institutions, government and universities. This milestone marks an important step forward in Indonesia’s journey towards a more sustainable rice sector and enhanced food security.

Indonesia’s rice sector faces a myriad of challenges, ranging from environmental degradation, water scarcity and the adverse effects of climate change to heavy use of agrochemicals and limited market access for farmers. Addressing these complex issues requires a comprehensive approach and systemic change, with the active involvement of multiple stakeholders.

Building bridges: establishing Indonesia’s SRP National Working Group (NWG)

Rikolto’s rice programme promotes good agricultural practices (GAP) following the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard, the first global sustainability standard for rice. The SRP standard assesses cultivation practices and promotes the adoption of resource-use efficiency and climate-smart rice production practices. This is crucial as rice production in Indonesia has exceeded the threshold for using chemical inputs, especially nitrogen (N), which has resulted in soil depletion and decreasing yields. Additionally, flooding techniques are widely practiced by farmers, resulting in soil damage and contributing to methane gas emissions. SRP provides the essential instruments to measure impacts, verify good practices and ensure integrity and traceability of rice.

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Over 2,700 farmers supported by Rikolto are already producing sustainable rice. However, their ability to access markets remains a big challenge. The members of the SRP National Working Group have made a joint commitment to promoting sustainable rice and addressing challenges posed by climate change, inefficient production practices and unfavourable policies, eventually helping to scale up SRP production and promote its marketing and consumption.

The NWG brings together representatives from government agencies, including the Planning Bureau of the Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture, NGOs – such as Rikolto, Preferred by Nature (PbN), Aliansi Organisasi Indonesia (AOI), Koalisi Rakyat untuk Kedaulatan Pangan (KRKP) and Perkumpulan Penggilingan Padi dan Pengusaha Beras Indonesia (PERPADI) – and private companies including Corteva Agriscience Indonesia, Harvest Plus, CropLife Indonesia, Provivi Pheromones Indonesia and Syngenta Indonesia. It serves as a national platform for members to pool their expertise, exchange knowledge and devise strategies that align with the global SRP standard but are tailored to Indonesia’s context.

The meeting in October appointed Rikolto and Croplife as focal points to liaise with the SRP secretariat, and KRKP as the national secretariat to coordinate with all NWG members. In our role we will support KRKP to facilitate coordination and communication and we will encourage active participation and decision-making within the NWG, ensuring effective progress towards the group’s goal of promoting SRP standard practices in Indonesia.

The working group has two primary objectives. First, it aims at developing the SRP National Interpretation Guideline (NIG). Sustainable rice cultivation can be subject to varying interpretations, depending on the geographic context. Ensuring adherence to these standards is essential to uphold SRP’s credibility and impact. The NIG may also propose extra regulations that fit within Indonesia’s legal frameworks.

Secondly, the working group seeks to establish an SRP National Chapter in Indonesia which will serve as a national-level forum for stakeholders in the Indonesian rice industry. Its purpose will be to embody the SRP principles and advocate for the adoption of climate-smart and sustainable rice farming practices, nationwide, as described in the graphic below.

Transforming the rice sector by engaging policymakers

The formation of the Indonesia SRP National Working Group in Jakarta marked the culmination of a series of discussions that began in 2019 aimed at influencing political action in support of the sustainable rice agenda. The process was initiated by the SRP secretariat sending an invitation to the Ministry of National Development Planning of the Republic of Indonesia (Bappenas).

Since 2019, Rikolto and GIZ Indonesia have been arranging meetings between rice stakeholders, bringing them to the same table to establish an SRP chapter. In 2021, SRP demonstration plots established in three districts in Central Java in partnership with Preferred by Nature will provide the first piece of evidence to advocate for adoption of the SRP standard on the part of the Indonesian government.

To strengthen cooperation between its members, the SRP National Working Group will meet every two months to discuss progress and formulate the SRP National Interpretation Guideline (NIG). The NWG will also continue to raise awareness of SRP standard and gather support from various stakeholders, including relevant government agencies, private sector, farmers organisations/groups and the general public.

In 2025, we aim to disseminate the SRP National Interpretation Guideline (NIG) to key stakeholders, begin piloting the NIG with farmer groups, establish Indonesia’s SRP National Chapter and continue to integrate the SRP principles into rice farming practices across the country.