A New Standard for Rice Traceability: SRP Chain of Custody Policy v2.6 Is Here

The Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) is proud to announce the release of SRP Chain of Custody (CoC) Policy and Standard Version 2.6 — a significant step forward in ensuring that every grain of SRP-Verified rice can be traced, trusted, and transparently verified from farm to final consumer.

Alongside this release, we are introducing an updated Brand Manual & Claim Guidelines v. 2.0 and a new Private Label Agreement (PLA) Template — tools designed to give the entire supply chain greater clarity, consistency, and confidence.

Why This Update Matters

In a world where consumers and markets demand greater accountability, the integrity of sustainability claims has never been more critical. Version 2.6 strengthens the foundation that SRP-Verified rice is built on — reinforcing traceability systems, tightening verification controls, and establishing clearer rules for how SRP claims are made and protected across the supply chain.

What’s New in Version 2.6

RiceTrace as the Official System of Record
RiceTrace is now formally established as the sole official platform for transaction validation, claim substantiation, and supply chain transfers. This consolidation brings greater consistency and accountability to every SRP-verified transaction.

Clearer Rules for Multi-Ingredient Products & Private-Label Arrangements
New requirements provide clear guidance on how SRP claims apply to products where rice is one of several ingredients, and introduce stronger controls to protect SRP trademarks in private-label arrangements.

Stronger Transaction Certificates
Mandatory buyer acknowledgement in RiceTrace and new restrictions on initial volume usage ensure that claim substantiation is more rigorous and reliable than ever before.

Uncompromising Data Integrity
Verification decisions can no longer be finalized when mandatory Audit Management Platform fields are incomplete — a critical safeguard that elevates the role of Conformity Assessment Bodies (CABs) in maintaining data quality.

Greater Audit Clarity & Flexibility
New Scope Change Audit procedures and timeline alignment flexibility provide clearer pathways for Participating Operators linked to SRP-verified producers, reducing ambiguity and supporting smoother compliance.

Unified Assurance Framework
CABs are now formally required to comply with the SRP Assurance Oversight Manual as a normative part of the Assurance Framework, ensuring alignment across all verification activities.

Refined Mass Balance Methodology
Version 2.6 brings enhanced clarity to SRP’s physical flow mass balance model, with non-rice ingredients explicitly excluded from volume calculations for multi-ingredient products — eliminating any room for ambiguity.

Updated Brand Manual & Claim Guidelines

The SRP Brand Manual & Claim Guidelines (May 2026 edition) has been comprehensively updated to align with v2.6 requirements. It serves as the definitive reference for:

Correct use of the SRP Organizational Logo and SRP-Verified Label, including technical specifications, sizing, and clear space requirements
Approved SRP Verification Claims and Corporate Value Statements with precise formatting standards
Multi-ingredient product packaging claim rules
Private-label use conditions and brand integrity enforcement
Market-specific guidance on sustainability claims across different regions and regulatory contexts
Technical and printing specifications including brand colors, fonts, and artwork requirements

Introducing the Private Label Agreement Template

For the first time, SRP is making available a standardized Private Label Agreement (PLA) Template — a practical framework for situations where SRP-Verified products are packed and marketed under a non-verified buyer’s brand.

The PLA Template provides clear structure for:

Defining roles and responsibilities between the Verified Unit and the Private Label Owner
Managing SRP verification, traceability, RiceTrace operations, and claim substantiation
Specifying brand names, product scope, and procedures for adding or removing brands during the agreement term
Ensuring compliance with SRP trademarks, artwork approval, and claim volume integrity
Setting terms for annual renewal and enforcement in cases of misuse or non-compliance

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date	June 2026 — Version 2.6 takes effect immediately upon publication
New Audits	All audits initiated after publication must comply with v2.6 requirements
Brand & Claims	Updated Brand Manual applies immediately to all new artwork submissions and claim approvals
Private Label	PLA Template available immediately for all new private-label arrangements
Existing Arrangements	May continue under v2.5 rules until their next annual audit, at which point v2.6 compliance will be assessed

Get in Touch

We are grateful for the continued commitment of our partners, operators, and auditors in upholding the integrity of SRP-Verified rice worldwide. If you have questions about these updates or need support in implementing the new requirements, please reach out to us at assurance@srpglobal.org

Together, we are building a rice supply chain the world can trust.