Sustainable Rice Contract Farming Program of Rice Partners Pvt.Ltd

Website: www.bettergrain.co.uk

Rice Partners Pvt Ltd S

ince 2011, Rice Partners Pvt Ltd (“RPL”) has started working closely with small-hold basmati rice farmers in Pakistan to improve their farming practices, yields, water usage and income. As a result, RPL helps manage food safety and supply chain risks for our valued customers. We are proud to have built one of the leading sustainable rice programs in the world.

RPL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Better Grain Ltd (www.bettergrain.co.uk), headquartered in London.

Objectives  Become the world's leading sustainable rice company  Ensure quality production through Contract Rice Farming Program  Improve farm income and livelihood of the basmati-growers through technical services, timely procurement at

premium price and payment within 24-48 hours including transportation charges  Ensure quality rice supply chains at the standard of EU, reduce cost of production at farm level, pesticides

residue levels, maintain cent percent purity and cooking quality, and adopt all safeguard measures in drying, storage, processing, packing and shipment  Bring improvement in the paddy market system, inefcient rice supply chains and remove uncertainty for the

quality conscious rice consumers

Former Bri sh Secretary, Rt. Hon. David Miliband in talks with RPL's Contract farmers

Certification  ISO 22000-2005 Food Quality, Safety and Management 

HACCP

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Sedex Member

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Halal Certied

 REAP Membership

Our Framework

Increase profitability for farmers

Strengthen and protect women workers

Introduction R

Deliver quality product to our customers

PL is a social impact business that works with hundreds of growers of basmati rice in Punjab, Pakistan, to provide them with the best growing-practices for enhancing their yields and livelihoods. RPL processes into high quality basmati rice, ready for export and consumption in global markets.

Operate profitably & sustainably

Improve water efficiency

assistance and training to basmati farmers. We have also organized some training programs with Bayer Crop Science on pest management and trained several hundreds of farmers.

We specialize in managing the end-to-end supply chain for major global users of rice. While working directly with farmers, RPL has a unique edge in its ability to RPL works closely with Mars Food, a major global food manage and monitor farm inputs of 600 farmers in 150+ company, and makers of Uncle Ben's ® Rice. Mars Food villages. This facilitates planting of pure and quality is a world leader and pioneer in sustainable rice farming. seeds, use of recommended pesticides, best agronomic We also work closely with the International Rice practices and modern harvesting techniques. We have Research Institute (IRRI) in providing regular and direct impacted a community of several thousand farmers.

RPL Staff and SGS auditor inspec ng the rice crop

Group Photograph of RPL staff with Mars Food & IRRI officials

Increasing income in farming communities T

he current rice value chain is inefcient and causes a substantial loss to the farmers due to the poor marketing system controlled by aarties and middle-men.These aarties and middle-men exploit the farmers money lending for the purchase of agricultural inputs, payment of tube well electricity bills, and to meet day to day needs. This circle of debt continues and leaves the smallholder farmers in a precarious economic spot. Thus, RPL aims to improve the livelihood of the small land farmer by get rid their repayments and offering them immediate payments on top of market prices. In return, the middle-men procure their paddy at lesser rate, charge their commission, and delay payments to farmers.This causes the farmer to borrow from middle-men, who charge exorbitant interest rates. RPL is striving to bring smaller and resource poor farmers to move the ladder and join collective action through contract farming.

RPL Strength  Operating full-edged Contract Farming Program  Sourcing paddy directly from contract farmers  Networking with contract farmers from sowing to

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harvest, through eld teams with technicians and Agronomist Conducting farmer training workshops and seminars Providing a dedicated free help line number, sms service and AKVO mobile application program Paying best price for RPL's contract farmers Making swift payment to farmers with no unfair deductions Providing free transportation from farm to factory gate for RPL's contract farmers Facilitating farmers with high quality inputs like seeds and pesticides Monitoring progress and providing direct farmer assistance throughout the crop life cycle Working closely with the world's largest brand, offering complete traceability Making available highest quality rice to our customers Strengthening farmers trust and condence

Mr. Vincent Passard, Auditor Mars Food along with RPL staff visi ng the Plant

Dr. Joseph Rickman, Crop Produc on Specialist IRRI with RPL staff at DSR Demo Plot

Strategic Partners MARS Food

(www.mars.com)

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e are proud of our partnership with Mars Food Europe.

Since inception, our business has developed with strong support from Mars, who have been leaders in developing worldwide sustainable sourcing programs.

Mars Food headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is a fast growing global business dedicated to providing better food today and a better world tomorrow. Their 12 leading food brands are available in more than 28 countries, and include the following brands: UNCLE BEN'S®, DOLMIO®, MASTERFOODS®, MIRACOLI®, SUZI WAN®, KAN TONG®, SEEDS OF Mars sponsored Rice Research and Demo Farm CHANGE®, ROYCO®, EBLY®, ABU SIOUF®, RARIS® and PAMESELLO®.

Rice is a staple food for half of the global population. It needs to be protected. As the maker of UNCLE BEN'S®, the world's largest global rice brand, they are working to establish a sustainable, long-term rice supply that can support our business growth while helping to meet the nutritional needs of a growing global population. Mars Food is committed to source 100 percent of our rice from Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) farmers by 2020.

Delivering the safe food products our customers need O ur sustainability programs have demonstrated an increase in product quality, and signicant decrease in customer rejections.

Some of our achievements include:  Signicant decrease in the use of banned pesticides

and chemicals.  Consistency with international standards for

minimum residual limits (MRL's)

Group photo RPL Plant, Opera ons and Technical Staff

 Improvement in paddy drying and storage facilities

mean a marked reduction of mycotoxin development We have monitored rice being cultivated by farmers to eliminate banned varieties in contract farming.

Dr. Joseph Rickman (Crop Produc on Specialist) and Dr. Surapong Sarkarung (Plant Breeder) of IRRI inspec ng the crop

Committed to Equality for Women in Agriculture W

omen farm workers play an important part in agricultural communities in many countries, but earn lower wages than men. RPL is committed to empowering and protecting women farm workers and realizing their signicance on equity basis in society.

RPL believes in gender equality, men and women are working together in rice field

We promote that women workers should not be discriminated on wages in farm activities. We conduct and operate specic women-focused seminars, workshops and services and have started gender specic research projects.

Field Visits R

Women farmers with installa on of AWD tube to save irriga on water

PL's mobile eld teams work closely with farmers throughout the rice season every year. Our contract farming program is the rst program of its type in Pakistan.

Direct Seeding of rice in ac on with RPL contract farmers

RPL Staff explaining farmers about the contract farming program

recommended inputs they need, monitor their elds, RPL's model program focuses on the target farmers-our guide them when they are busy in their elds and source suppliers and partners. We work closely with the paddy directly from farms for ensuring traceability. As a farming communities, help them in purchasing quality result, we provide our customers with the best quality rice in the world.

Water Productivity Project (WAPRO) W

ith strong support from our partners including Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and Mars Food, RPL is implementing an important water productivity project ("WAPRO"), to promote water saving techniques including Land Laser Leveling, Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR), and Alternative Water and Drying (AWD) tubes for farmers. The project aims to improve the capacity of rice growers in latest crop production and water-saving techniques, which would help them to reduce their cost of production and increase paddy yields. WAPRO is currently under successful implementation of 2nd year in the RPL targeted area of Districts Sheikhupura, Mr. Jens Soth, Senior Advisor Helvetas Swiss Intercoopera on, Gujranwala, Jhang etc.

Mr. Luc Beerens, Mr. Gieljan Beijen, Dr. Joseph Rickman with RPL staff and farmers Agriculture accounts for around 70% of water used in the world today and also contributes to water pollution This is critical to decrease its cost of production; from excess use of nutrients, pesticides and other ensuring water is used efciently while maintaining the pollutants. But the competition for water is increasing environmental and social advantages. Through an improved and efcient water use framework, we can and the cost of water pollution can be devastating.

With increased pressure from urbanization, help farmers reduce input cost and maintain the rice industrialization and climate change, more competition ecosystem. This involves encouraging laser leveling of paddy elds and promoting the use of water-saving crop for water resources is seen in the future.

RPL is committed to sustainable management of water establishment techniques and development of water efcient varieties. in rice production.

Dr. Riaz Mann, Senior Advisor RPL facilita ng the session with farmers

RPL staff facilita ng the session with farmers

RPL staff a er the training session of the Contract Farmers

Land laser leveling in ac on in RPL farmers land

Technology in Agriculture

RPL/WAPRO staff applying AKVO so ware to collect the farmers’ data from their fields

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e are committed to deploying technological solutions in our supply chain. For example, we use geo mapping in our farming areas to monitor and manage our crops.

Mr. Luc Beerens, Ms. Louke Koopmans from MARS food, Mr. Wim Spieringhs from UTZ and Dr. Arjumand Nizami from Swiss Intercoopera on, Pakistan inaugura ng the Laser land leveling with RPL team and contract farmers

Our team developed an SMS-based information system which provides farmers with procurement updates, seasonal updates, best practices on sowing, cultivation, harvesting, prevalence of current diseases, pests related news, relevant agri input information etc.

RPL also maintains logbooks, wherein personal and farming information details of every individual farmer are recorded, starting from sowing to harvesting. Along with adopting ICT (Information Communication Technology) we have also trained our team in AKVO software to maintain their database. To support sustainable rice certication, certain control points are monitored every planting season such as land

Mr. Luc Beerens, Global Sustainable Sourcing Director, Mars Food along with RPL staff and farmers in the rice field

preparation, labor management, water use efciency and pest management.

The purpose of this system is to ensure mobility and connectivity at all times with the farmer network. In addition, we also operate farmer helplines to respond to eld queries during the rice season.

Mr. Luc Beerens of Mars Food discussing rice issues with RPL's Contract farmers

Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) T

he Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) (www. sustainablerice.org) is a global multi-stakeholder partnership to promote sustainable rice cultivation. The SRP currently has more than 70 institutional members, including the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), government agencies, private sector actors, research institutions and not-for- proď€ t organizations.

In the year 2016 more than 100 farmers have been extensively trained on SRP and about 1,500 farmers basically sensitized on SRP. In the year 2017 RPL is planning to train 100+ and sensitize 3,000+ more farmers.

RPL farmers a ending training on SRP and Water Produc vity

Mr. Luc Beerens explaining about SRP and WAPRO to RPL sta

RPL agrees to the mandate of the SRP, and is committed to compliance of SRP among its farming network, so that they could grow their crops as per international standards. Training sessions on SRP standards are being conducted on regular basis in villages by RPL.

To assess the compliance of SRP standards and IMS protocol among the RPL registered farmers for sustainable rice cultivation, audit was conducted by a third party. The assessment team observed a reasonable level of compliance among registered farmers of RPL to SRP standards. As the farmers are involved themselves in the whole crop production process, they are found eager to bring improvement in their current production system.

Group Photograph of the farmers a er a ending training on Sustainable Rice Pla orm (SRP) Village/Dera Training organize by RPL Progressive farmer

International Cooperation Sustainable Rice Platform:

HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation:

(www.sustainablerice.org)

(www.helvetas.org)

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he Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is a multistakeholder partnership to promote resource efciency and sustainability both on-farm and throughout the rice value chain. It was co-convened by the United Nations Environmental Program (UNEP) and IRRI. RPL is committed to the principles of the SRP.

International Rice Research Institute: (www.irri.org)

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RRI is known for its work in developing rice varieties that contributed to the Green Revolution in the 1960s which preempted the famine in Asia. It advances its mission through collaborative research, partnerships, and the strengthening of the national agricultural research and extension systems of the countries IRRI works in. IRRI is one of 15 agricultural research centers in the world that form the Consortium of International Agriculture Research Centers (CGIAR), a global partnership of organizations engaged in research on food security. It is also the largest non-prot agricultural research center in Asia. RPL is working with IRRI to provide farmer support services and reduce post harvest losses.

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ELVETAS is a development organization based in Switzerland, with a vision of a just world in which all men and women determine the course of their lives in dignity and security, using environmental resources in a sustainable manner. Organizationally, HELVETAS operates as an international network of independent afliate member organizations working in the eld of development cooperation and emergency response. The HELVETAS network builds upon six decades of development experience. With 1400 collaborators, it is engaged in more than 30 countries. RPL is working with HELVETAS Swiss Intercooperation on a multi year sustainable rice project.

Bayer Crop Science: (www.cropscience.bayer.com)

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ayer's Crop Science division is the third largest innovative agricultural input company in the world.

They help make the agricultural economy more productive thus contributing to society by helping to ensure an ample supply of high-quality food, feed, ber and renewable raw materials. At RPL, we have worked with Bayer Crop Science on their Much More Rice program.

RPL Staff in DSR Plot

Farmers Feedback Mr. Irshad Ahmad Dogar RPL Contractual farmer Village: Khatianwala

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fter joining the RPL Contract Farming Program, I started to grow rice as per Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standards. My cost of crop production in terms of water saving, pesticides use, use of fertilizers etc were substantially reduced. This program has changed my mindset of conventional rice cultivation and gave me condence on improved agronomic practices leading to enhanced crop productivity.

The entire paddy from my rice crop was procured by RPL at a premium rate and payment, along with transportation cost, was made within 24-48 hours through swift banking. Due to increase in my farm income, I am giving better education and schooling to my children. My family and I are quite happy that our children are getting education and will become responsible citizen of society. I am highly grateful to RPL and MARS Food for changing my lifestyle.

Mr. Anwar Nawaz RPL Contractual farmer Village: Kharopur Mallian

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ur family has been involved in rice cultivation for the last several decades but we were not satised due to high cost of production, low paddy prices and paddy yield.

Once I had a chance to visit the neighboring village on a wedding occasion, and there I happened to know about RPL, its contractual farming program, and the incentives offered to the registered rice-growers. I also decided to be the part of RPL's Program. I regularly participated in the “Farmers' Training” organized by RPL. It opened my eyes and I learned innovative techniques of fertilizers/pesticides use, crop protection measures, resource-conservation, soil fertility improvement, and water saving.

For the last four years, I am continuously practicing all such techniques and following the instructions of the RPL experts. I am quite happy and feel much secured from the RPL program that leads to cut down my cost of production up to 18% and enhanced per acre paddy yield and farm income. The staff of RPL is very helpful and guide us on every step.

Supporting the Principles of the Global Compact R

Principle 5: the effective abolition of child labour; and PL supports the United Nations Global Compact, Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect and its ten principles. of employment and occupation.

To learn more about the Global Compact, please visit h t t p s : / / w w w. u n g l o b a l c o m p a c t . o r g / w h a t - i s - Environment gc/mission/principles Principle 7: Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges; Human Rights

Principle 1: Businesses should support and respect the Principle 8: undertake initiatives to promote greater protection of internationally proclaimed human rights; environmental responsibility; and and Principle 9: encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies.

Principle 2: make sure that they are not complicit in human rights abuses.

Anti-Corruption Labour

Principle 10: Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery.

Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 4: the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour;

Free Medical Camps in Rural Areas R

PL and FHRI regularly organize free health camps across the country, where basic health care is most needed. We have completed over 20 free health camps in the most remote parts of the country.

RPL and FHRI installed several free Medical Clinics in Sindh and Southern Punjab. Patients were suffering from malaria, maternal health problems, children facing malnutrition problems and diseases like cholera, fever, skin allergy, gastroenteritis, eye infection and injuries.

More than 20,000 patients have been treated from these programs so far. RPL in collaboration with Mars food is planning to organize free medical camps for community and women transplanters in near future.

Medical Camp organized in District Mithi, Tharparkar (Sindh) Edited by Dr. Riaz Mann Muhammad Ali Tariq Zafar Iqbal

Camp Office: 5-KM, Muridke-Sheikhupura Road, Muridke, Pakistan Tel: +92 42 37163313-14 E-mail: info@rice-partners.com Website: www.bettergrain.co.uk www.facebook.com/waproproject

Supported by: SDC, Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and Mars Food

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