Rubber Industry Platform Aims to Halt Deforestation, Protect Human Rights

Palm oil, cocoa, soy, bananas … and rubber? Despite a lower profile, natural rubber is a widely traded tropical global commodity. Approximately 13.8 million tons of natural rubber was produced in 2019, with Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand being the top producers. But until recently, there was little to suggest that collective and focused efforts from the different stakeholders across the natural rubber supply chain were in place to ensure that supply chain was being managed ethically and sustainably.

That changed in March 2019 with the official launch of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), spearheaded by the Tire Industry Project, a CEO-led sustainability forum for the tire industry under the umbrella of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). The GPSNR brings tire manufacturers, other major rubber buyers and processors, car makers, international NGOs and smallholders together under an ambitious set of priorities to ensure the sustainable production and supply of natural rubber.

Source: Tripple Pundit