Category: News

Natural rubber faces a similar set of environmental, social and economic issues as other agricultural commodities such as palm oil, but the spotlight on sustainability has only been recently turned towards this key raw material, 70% of which goes into tire production. The launch of GPSNR marked a significant step towards developing sustainable standards for natural rubber, with member organizations making a commitment to 12 Sustainable Natural Rubber Principles. 

The Policy Toolbox Working Group was established to develop a guiding framework for GPSNR members to implement policies and practices that align with the 12 Principles. Two key documents, the Policy Components and Baseline Reporting Requirements, have emerged after a year of discussion and drafting. 

The Policy Components outline specific commitments that GPSNR company members should include in their sustainable natural rubber policies, while the  Baseline Reporting Requirements indicate qualitative and quantitative sustainability data to be reported to the Secretariat for the first year of reporting.

A members webinar was held on 16 June, where the Co-Chairs of the Policy Toolbox Working Group explained the purpose, process and next steps surrounding the two documents. 

Several members have volunteered to participate in an ongoing pilot testing of the Baseline Reporting Requirements. The goal of the pilot is to refine and finalize the Baseline Reporting Requirements based on company feedback.

The proposed Policy Components and Baseline Reporting Requirements are now open for member consultation until 3 July 2020.

The 2nd General Assembly (GA) of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) will be convened on 23 September 2020. Given the exceptional circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 crisis, the decision has been made to hold the GA virtually.

In making this decision, the GPSNR Executive Committee (EC) considered the importance of the issues that require a vote from GPSNR members, the impacts and consequences of a further postponement of the GA, as well as the current global situation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The EC felt that a GA held online would meet both criteria of ensuring the safety and comfort of GPSNR members while moving forward the effort of the Working Groups in achieving the Platform’s strategic outcomes.

The GA will take place online, with the voting process also conducted electronically. In lieu of face-to-face member engagements, a series of webinars will be organized to prepare members for the GA.

All members are reminded to submit to the Secretariat their proposed resolutions and/ or nominations for election to the Executive Committee no later than 1 August 2020.

Assurance is defined as demonstrable evidence that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled. In other words, thinking about Assurance is to ponder the question: how do we protect the credibility of our claim?

The Executive Committee (EC) has been working on an Assurance model concept since late 2019. Following the request for proposal put up in August 2019, an external consultant was engaged to conduct a review of the options for various Assurance Models that would support the desired outcomes of the Platform. In early 2020, the report from the consultant, which discussed existing approaches to Assurance and included recommendations for GPSNR’s approach to Assurance, was submitted to the EC. 

The EC considered the input from the report and expanded upon its findings by conducting a thorough benchmarking of existing Assurance model approaches. Following this exercise, the EC identified and defined several key characteristics that merit inclusion in GPSNR’s Assurance model concept.

In the process of developing these key characteristics, the EC also took into account the purpose, value and benefits of an Assurance model. 

A robust Assurance model would provide a credible and effective system to manage risks by supporting the achievement of sustainability impacts, focusing on accurate assessments of compliance, ensuring the effectiveness of its assurance strategies through good information management systems, and finding additional ways to create value for stakeholders.

A webinar will be held on Friday, 26 June 2020 to introduce GPSNR members to a proposed Assurance model concept.

A tabled summary of the process and timelines around the development of the Assurance model concept up until now is included below:

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

The study on Human Rights and Labour Rights’ Risk Mapping in the Global Natural Rubber Value Chains conducted by independent consultants James Griffiths & Associates Sàrl has been submitted to the Working Group. The full study will be published on the GPSNR website shortly, and the document will be open to stakeholders for comments.

Meanwhile, the Strategy and Objectives Working Group has started to engage with the rest of the Working Groups on aligning with the Theory of Change, and developing platform KPIs. 

The Equity sub-Group has collected comments from the Strategy and Objectives Working Group on the proposed definition of equity. The sub-Group is also exploring engaging consultant James Griffiths to conduct research into equity risks along the natural rubber supply chain, with the plan to have the findings of this study feed into the definition. The sub-Group is currently in the process of establishing an operational plan to define the various workstreams, processes, timelines, and  responsibilities for the Living Income study. The first phase of the study will involve collecting existing benchmark data and doing desk research on national poverty lines, minimum wages, and other relevant information. For greater alignment with the Capacity Building Working Group’s scope, the Equity sub-Group has decided to focus on the same four countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand. 

‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group

The proposed Policy Components and Baseline Reporting Requirements are open for member consultation until 3 July 2020. Find out more here. 

‘Capacity Building’ Working Group

The regional sub-Groups described the various findings and recommendations in a presentation to the larger Working Group at the end of May. Eight initiatives were proposed to be shared across the four focus countries, each corresponding to a critical issue identified through stakeholder interviews. These eight initiatives are: access to pure certified (re)planting material, promote the CO2 compensation scheme, promote value rubber wood, improve access to finance, disease fighting, dissemination of Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), income diversification, and improve reach and quality of extension services. Depending on the initiatives recommended for each country, three priority actions have been suggested, forming the basis for a 3-year programme.

The sub-Group for Thailand organized a call with some of Thai smallholder members to seek their opinion on the proposed initiatives. The discussion proved to be a fruitful one, with the smallholders providing advice and suggesting alternative initiatives for the sub-Group to consider. The subgroup for Côte d’Ivoire, which has a smallholder member who is a representative from a local producer association in participation, has also contextualized the proposed initiatives to the local conditions of smallholders and industrial plantations.

The other sub-Groups are also planning to get smallholder members’ input on the capacity building initiatives for their respective countries of focus.

‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group

The Working Group has started discussions on risk assessment, and will be linking up with the Policy Toolbox Working Group as well as consultant James Griffiths on the results of the social risks study.

The terms of reference for the two pilot proposals have been finalized after several rounds of additional revision. The documents will be submitted soon to the Executive Committee. 

Smallholders Representation Working Group

The Working Group continues to plan and prepare for the smallholders programme prior to the General Assembly. In particular, terms of reference are being drafted for a professional facilitator to manage the smallholder workshop sessions for the pre-GA programme.

In discussing the proposed member requirements and reporting requirements, the Policy Toolbox Working Group has touched frequently upon the topics of High Conservation Value (HCV), no deforestation, no conversion of non-forested ecosystem, and other issues around developments on post-disturbance vegetation/ land cover. 

To establish a common understanding about HCVs, the High Conservation Value Resource Network (HCVRN) Secretariat took the initiative to organize a video presentation to the Working Group members on the HCV Approach. The presentation touched on governance and historical aspects of the HCV Approach, and its implementation in forest and non-forest ecosystems in the landscape, concession and smallholder contexts.

(GPSNR Members may view the presentation and download the slide deck by logging in to the website and accessing the Members Version of this article.) 

As the mid-year mark approaches, our Working Groups continue to make progress in their respective areas of focus. In spite of the setbacks brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, group calls and discussions remain as scheduled, with every intention to have deliverables ready for approval or presentation at the General Assembly 2020.

Final text for the proposed policy components and baseline reporting requirements, developed by the Policy Toolbox Working Group, have been proposed. The documents are being circulated for approval within the Working Group before being submitted to the Executive Committee. A pilot testing phase for the reporting requirements will be launched shortly after. More details on this will be released soon.

Along with the finalization of the Terms of References for the two pilot proposals, the Traceability and Transparency Working Group is also developing a budget and timeline for these pilot proposals, to be submitted to the Executive Committee for approval.   

While there have been efforts between Working Groups revolving around calibration and aligning, the importance of alignment with all Working Groups is increasingly being recognized as important. Moving forward, the Strategy and Objectives Working Group will undertake a more coordinating role. This will see a Platform-wide effort to directly engage and align with the other Working Groups  to better bring forward their strategies into the Theory of Change, understand their project plans and how to interact, and bring together input from all the Working Groups to support the development of Platform Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

Within the Strategy and Objectives Working Group itself, work on filling out the Theory of Change continues. The Working Group is also liaising closely with consultant James Griffiths on his study on social risks following the presentation of a first draft to the Working Group for review.

The regional sub-Groups of the Capacity Building Working Group continue to advance discussions on developing country-specific capacity building goals and strategies for Indonesia, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire and Myanmar. 

The sub-Groups have made progress in identifying three issues of priority per country. Focusing on these issues, the sub-Groups have pinpointed the drivers or causes of these issues, as well as developed priority actions to address them. Having already established who the existing stakeholders conducting on-the-ground capacity building projects are, the next step is to approach identified local agencies to discuss possible collaboration and partnership. 

The Capacity Building Working Group is developing a budget estimate that would provide a more comprehensive overview of the resources involved in carrying out the planned capacity building initiatives.

The members of the Working Group recognize the importance of involving smallholders and government agencies in the process of developing these capacity building plans, and are working towards engaging these parties in the discussion.

Meanwhile, the Smallholders Representation Working Group continues to finetune the onboarding programme for smallholders prior to the General Assembly 2020. A sub-Group has also been formed to consider the issue of financial support for smallholder participation at subsequent General Assembly meetings. 

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the entire natural rubber supply chain. It has triggered car and tire manufacturing companies to operate with a reduced workforce, or temporarily halt production plants altogether. Strict lockdown measures have caused a drastic fall in the sales of consumer tires across Europe. Global demand for natural rubber has dropped, the effects of which will be felt by the 6 million natural rubber smallholders in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Many smallholders live in poverty, depending on daily wages to feed their families. Their situations will only be exacerbated by the COVID-19 crisis. Already, the Association of Producers and Processing Plants of the State of São Paulo (APABOR) has estimated that for Brazil alone, the subsistence of around 100,000 natural rubber farmers and their direct relatives is at risk.

While COVID-19 exposes the vulnerabilities of smallholders, it also reveals the potential they have to be agents of change and drivers of transformation. The pandemic has reminded us of the connections between human health, resilient landscapes, economic stability and livelihoods; the post COVID-19 world is more likely to devote greater attention to tackling environmental, social and economic impacts of its many supply chains. Smallholders, who produce 85% of the world’s natural rubber supply, are thus key to advancing GPSNR’s vision of a fair, equitable and environmentally sound rubber value chain.

One of GPSNR’s major outcomes for this year has been welcoming our new smallholder members. As of today, a total of 27 smallholder members (with additions from Myanmar) have joined GPSNR. The inclusion of smallholders into the fabric of the Platform provides them the opportunity to drive the agenda for sustainable natural rubber and, in the long-term, realize the social, economic and environmental benefits that sustainability brings. 

We encourage GPSNR members to communicate this outcome through the communication channels of their respective organizations. To this end, we launched a quarterly Members’ Communication Toolkit which outlines the suggested key message and provides ready-to-use content for communicating the message. GPSNR Members may access the Members’ Communication Toolkit for Q2 2020 in the GPSNR Forum.  

More is being done to fully include these smallholders in the Working Groups and Executive Committee. The Smallholders Representation Working Group continues with its efforts in designing a programme for onboarding smallholders prior to the General Assembly. In the meantime, some of our new smallholder members are already actively involved in Working Group discussions. Additionally, having recognized the urgency to address the impacts of COVID-19 on smallholders, the Equity sub-Working Group is developing a position paper on the issue.

What are the challenges that prevent the production of sustainable natural rubber in rubber-producing countries, and why do they exist?

What initiatives can be taken, and by whom, to effectively overcome these challenges?

How can GPSNR best support the natural rubber sector in becoming more sustainable?

In setting out to find the answers to these questions, the Capacity Building Working Group has established four regional sub-Working Groups to focus on developing country-specific capacity building goals and strategies for the following countries: Indonesia, Thailand, Côte d’Ivoire and Myanmar. 

Since the first week of April, the regional sub-Groups have been holding weekly calls to get their respective projects started. Their first order of business? Identify the main challenges preventing the adoption of sustainable natural rubber practices within their countries of focus. Already, some commonalities have been revealed: the lack of implementation of best agricultural practices and poor diversification of farmers’ income. While challenges may be similar across the countries, proposed initiatives may differ due to a variety of factors such as technology and infrastructure, culture, degree of (or lack of) government support. The role that GPSNR can play in supporting these strategies would also depend on the particular conditions within each country.  

The sub-Groups are currently working on prioritizing the identified challenges to capacity building, and will be linking expected outcomes to the components of the GPSNR Desired State.

Roland Baroan is the first GPSNR smallholder member to take part in a Working Group discussion. A rubber farmer with 37 hectares of land and current President of the Association of Natural Rubber Producers of Côte d’Ivoire (APROCANCI), Roland lends his local expertise and knowledge to the Côte d’Ivoire regional sub-Group. Smallholders from the other countries of focus will also be involved via a consultation process.

While we hope to see more smallholders participating in and contributing to the work of GPSNR, we must also ensure that the right support systems are in place for them to effectively connect and communicate with all members. To this end, the Smallholders Representation Working Group is finetuning a proposed programme to onboard our smallholder members. The Working Group is also discussing a suitable funding mechanism for future smallholder participation in GPSNR.

By laying the groundwork for smallholder inclusivity, we can support the natural rubber value chain in its efforts to become more sustainable, and thus more resilient to global catastrophes.

Many are calling these “unprecedented times”, and undeniably so. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought the world many firsts – from the closing of international borders to country-wide lockdowns and quarantines, and extreme social distancing measures applied to everyday activities such as exercising and grocery shopping. In this sense, many of the impacts of COVID-19 have been unprecedented. 

‘Unprecedented’, however, does not necessarily translate into ‘unexpected’. This is especially true for a significant link of the natural rubber value chain: the millions of smallholders and farm workers that supply the world with around 85% of its natural rubber. These smallholders, seasonal workers and their families are some of the most vulnerable people within the natural rubber sector, living in poverty and without adequate access to social services. Poor diversification of farmers’ incomes means that farmers are solely dependent on tapping rubber trees to make a living. When a pandemic occurs and global demand for natural rubber falls, it comes as no surprise that smallholders are the hardest hit. 

The Equity sub-Working Group was formed to look into the issue of equity in the natural rubber value chain and to define what GPSNR’s role will be in promoting equity along the supply chain. It is chaired by Robert Meyer (Halcyon Agri) and co-chaired by Hendrike Braun-Issa (GIZ). The sub-Group has, in its first few calls, recognized the importance of addressing the impact that COVID-19 has on the supply chain, in particular the natural rubber smallholders. In view of this, discussions have been centered around producing a set of short-term recommendations to counter the impact of the COVID-19 crisis. These recommendations are particularly aimed at supporting small-scale natural rubber farmers and their families.

The International Rubber Study Group (IRSG), represented by Secretary-General Salvatore Pinizzotto, is also participating in the sub-Group discussions to provide advice in the area of cooperation with Governments. 

Along with the short-term recommendations, the sub-Group is also looking at long-term efforts to address the underlying systemic issues, and are carrying out a study to inform the Platform on the subjects of Living Wage and Living Income.

Improving the capacity and livelihoods of smallholders is just one of the strategies undertaken by GPSNR. It is equally important for the other players in the industry to advance GPSNR’s vision of a sustainable natural rubber value chain. The Policy Toolbox Working Group continues to finalize the proposed member policy requirements and reporting requirements, with consultation from all member categories. Meanwhile, the Traceability and Transparency Working Group is focused on acquiring a better understanding of tools to achieve greater traceability and transparency within supply chains. Both groups will be aligning on key issues such as supply chain risk assessment.