Ibis Rice Initiative

#SDGAction40158

Description

The Wildlife Conservation Society launched the Ibis Rice initiative in 2009 to promote and market wildlife-friendly rice grown in the communities located in areas in the northern plains of Cambodia protected for their biodiversity value. Ibis Rice links wildlife conservation to improving livelihoods of villagers whose opportunities are limited by the constraints of living in a remote area with little opportunity to expand their farms and limited market access.

Implementation of the Project/Activity

Ibis Rice was launched in 2009 to promote and market wildlife-friendly rice grown in the communities located in areas protected for their biodiversity value in Cambodia. Its work links wildlife conservation to improving livelihoods of villagers whose opportunities are limited by the constraints of living in a remote area with little opportunity to expand their farms and limited market access. Ibis Rice buys paddy at a premium from village marketing networks, whose members are made up of farmers who are often not food secure and rely on forest resources for income. Ibis Rice has worked to market wildlife-friendly produce that is produced by local communities in the Northern Plains. Target buyers include domestic tourist hotels and restaurants, food retailers and potentially, international markets.

Capacity

Now in its seventh year of operation and with proven social and environmental impact results, the primary capacity-building objectives are to:• Improve milling yields• Adopt new procurement logistics strategies• Introduce new purchase strategy, quality training and quality reward• Adjust wholesale sales strategy• Help farmers obtain organic certification

Governed

A partnership of non-governmental organizations (NGO) and government agencies, this project provides local communities with an incentive to engage in conservation, by offering farmers a premium price for their rice if they agree to abide conservation agreements that are designed to protect the rare water birds and other species that use the protected areas.The first of these agreements is a land-use plan that is developed by the local community and which clearly delineates the areas that farmers are permitted to clear for growing rice or other produce. This therefore limits the conversion of wetland areas to rice fields. They then develop a 'no-hunting' agreement, which outlaws the hunting and collection of rare waterbirds and their chicks.These agreements are enforced by a locally elected natural resource management committee, which is composed of representatives from the village, and thus guarantees a high degree of 'local ownership' of the scheme. Since the majority of the inhabitants of rural communities in Cambodia are engaged in rice farming, the scheme has the potential to benefit a high proportion of the population within each village.The implementation of the project in each village follows a prescribed number of simple steps. Firstly, a Village Marketing Network (VMN) is formed in the village. The VMN is responsible for purchasing the rice from farmers and verifying that the farmers have respected the conservation agreements, with oversight from the natural resource management committee. The VMN then stores the rice at a central location within the village. Transportation, processing and packaging, as well as the eventual marketing and sale of the rice, is coordinated by Sansom Mlup Prey (SMP).SMP organizes the collection of rice from each of the participating villages and delivers it to a mill for processing. The rice is then packaged and branded as Ibis Rice, and delivered to those outlets that have been contracted to sell the rice. WCS Cambodia has received certification from the Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network (WFEN) for Ibis Rice so the rice is also labeled as Wildlife Friendly™ certified. All contracts are negotiated by SMP, which is a non-profit organization. Farmers are paid when they supply their rice to the VMN, with the VMN funding the purchases from a cash advance provided by SMP; revenue earned by SMP is used to cover these advances, as well as funding their operating costs.

Evaluation

There were 341 households actively selling rice through the program in at the end of 2015, which represented a 311% increase since 2009, the first year of the program. 
 
 In the 2014-15 season, Ibis Rice bought 510 metric tons of paddy rice from farmer families. The price premium for rice paddy paid to participating farmers has been maintained at an average of >10% above market price over the past three years. 
 
 In terms of sales under the Ibis Rice brand, the average growth rate for all full years in operation to date is 47% year-over-year growth. 
 
 The level of compliance to the Wildlife Friendly™ standard has been so high that after an inspection from organic farming certifiers, Ibis Rice is seeking organic certification for this year’s crop for a subset of villages without the normal probation of a 3 year transition period; this will allow Ibis Rice to pay farmers a further 10% organic premium above the 10-12% Wildlife Friendly™ premium. 
 
 Within Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary (KPWS), a total of 8 CPAs (11,186 ha) have been signed by the Minister of the Environment and 5 new CPAs (9,224 ha) have received approval at the provincial level and await processing nationally, meaning 20,410 ha will have been secured for local communities in the Ibis Rice project area (the equivalent of about three times the size of Manhattan). We estimate that 3,000 households in 34 villages have secured tenure to their land and are protected from exploitative land grabbing from outsiders. 
 
 The large waterbird focal species for the Ibis Rice scheme are the critically endangered Giant Ibis, White-shouldered Ibis, and the globally vulnerable Sarus Crane due to their close ecological association with the unique mosaic of dry dipterocarp forest and grassland habitat found surrounding villages implementing Ibis Rice. Since the start of the project in 2009, the number of nests protected and fledgling success have remained relatively stable and in the case of White-Shouldered Ibis they have increased by 53% from 2013 to 2014.

Partners

* Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
* Sansom Mlup Prey
* Accounting for International Development (AfID)
* Wildlife Friendly Enterprise Network

SDGS & Targets

Goal 15

Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

15.1

By 2020, ensure the conservation, restoration and sustainable use of terrestrial and inland freshwater ecosystems and their services, in particular forests, wetlands, mountains and drylands, in line with obligations under international agreements

15.1.1

Forest area as a proportion of total land area

15.1.2

Proportion of important sites for terrestrial and freshwater biodiversity that are covered by protected areas, by ecosystem type

15.2

By 2020, promote the implementation of sustainable management of all types of forests, halt deforestation, restore degraded forests and substantially increase afforestation and reforestation globally

15.2.1

Progress towards sustainable forest management

15.3

By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world

15.3.1

Proportion of land that is degraded over total land area

15.4

By 2030, ensure the conservation of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in order to enhance their capacity to provide benefits that are essential for sustainable development

15.4.1

Coverage by protected areas of important sites for mountain biodiversity

15.4.2

Mountain Green Cover Index

15.5

Take urgent and significant action to reduce the degradation of natural habitats, halt the loss of biodiversity and, by 2020, protect and prevent the extinction of threatened species

15.5.1

Red List Index

15.6

Promote fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and promote appropriate access to such resources, as internationally agreed

15.6.1

Number of countries that have adopted legislative, administrative and policy frameworks to ensure fair and equitable sharing of benefits

15.7

Take urgent action to end poaching and trafficking of protected species of flora and fauna and address both demand and supply of illegal wildlife products

15.7.1

Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked

15.8

By 2020, introduce measures to prevent the introduction and significantly reduce the impact of invasive alien species on land and water ecosystems and control or eradicate the priority species

15.8.1

Proportion of countries adopting relevant national legislation and adequately resourcing the prevention or control of invasive alien species

15.9

By 2020, integrate ecosystem and biodiversity values into national and local planning, development processes, poverty reduction strategies and accounts

15.9.1

(a) Number of countries that have established national targets in accordance with or similar to Aichi Biodiversity Target 2 of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011–2020 in their national biodiversity strategy and action plans and the progress reported towards these targets; and (b) integration of biodiversity into national accounting and reporting systems, defined as implementation of the System of Environmental-Economic Accounting

15.a

Mobilize and significantly increase financial resources from all sources to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems

15.a.1

(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments

15.b

Mobilize significant resources from all sources and at all levels to finance sustainable forest management and provide adequate incentives to developing countries to advance such management, including for conservation and reforestation

15.b.1

(a) Official development assistance on conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and (b) revenue generated and finance mobilized from biodiversity-relevant economic instruments

15.c

Enhance global support for efforts to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, including by increasing the capacity of local communities to pursue sustainable livelihood opportunities

15.c.1

Proportion of traded wildlife that was poached or illicitly trafficked

Goal 2

End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

2.1

By 2030, end hunger and ensure access by all people, in particular the poor and people in vulnerable situations, including infants, to safe, nutritious and sufficient food all year round

2.1.1

Prevalence of undernourishment

2.1.2

Prevalence of moderate or severe food insecurity in the population, based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES)

2.2

By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

2.2.1

Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

2.2.2

Prevalence of malnutrition (weight for height >+2 or <-2 standard deviation from the median of the WHO Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age, by type (wasting and overweight)

2.2.3

Prevalence of anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years, by pregnancy status (percentage)

2.3

By 2030, double the agricultural productivity and incomes of small-scale food producers, in particular women, indigenous peoples, family farmers, pastoralists and fishers, including through secure and equal access to land, other productive resources and inputs, knowledge, financial services, markets and opportunities for value addition and non-farm employment

2.3.1

Volume of production per labour unit by classes of farming/pastoral/forestry enterprise size

2.3.2

Average income of small-scale food producers, by sex and indigenous status

2.4

By 2030, ensure sustainable food production systems and implement resilient agricultural practices that increase productivity and production, that help maintain ecosystems, that strengthen capacity for adaptation to climate change, extreme weather, drought, flooding and other disasters and that progressively improve land and soil quality

2.4.1

Proportion of agricultural area under productive and sustainable agriculture

2.5

By 2020, maintain the genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants and farmed and domesticated animals and their related wild species, including through soundly managed and diversified seed and plant banks at the national, regional and international levels, and promote access to and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, as internationally agreed

2.5.1

Number of (a) plant and (b) animal genetic resources for food and agriculture secured in either medium- or long-term conservation facilities

2.5.2

Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction

2.a

Increase investment, including through enhanced international cooperation, in rural infrastructure, agricultural research and extension services, technology development and plant and livestock gene banks in order to enhance agricultural productive capacity in developing countries, in particular least developed countries

2.a.1

The agriculture orientation index for government expenditures

2.a.2

Total official flows (official development assistance plus other official flows) to the agriculture sector

2.b

Correct and prevent trade restrictions and distortions in world agricultural markets, including through the parallel elimination of all forms of agricultural export subsidies and all export measures with equivalent effect, in accordance with the mandate of the Doha Development Round

2.b.1

Agricultural export subsidies

2.c

Adopt measures to ensure the proper functioning of food commodity markets and their derivatives and facilitate timely access to market information, including on food reserves, in order to help limit extreme food price volatility

2.c.1

Indicator of food price anomalies

False

Feedback

Action Network

United Nations Sustainable Development Summit

This initiative does not yet fulfil the SMART criteria.

Timeline

01 January 1970 (start date)

01 January 1970 (date of completion)

Entity

Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)

SDGs

15 2

Geographical coverage

Siem Reap, Cambodia

More information

http://www.smpcambodia.org

Countries

Cambodia

Contact Information

London Davies, Director, Conservation Enterprise Development Program

ldavies@wcs.org