Strategy and Objectives Working Group Update – December 2019

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.

Using the Theory of Change model, the Working Group identified root causes that prevent the natural rubber supply chain from achieving the desired state. Once these root causes were agreed upon, effective strategies could be designed to mitigate them.

Considering that the natural rubber industry and the world around it is not static but changes with time, the Working Group has planned for the Theory of Change to be a living document that GPSNR members will continually update and maintain. This will ensure its relevance and role in realizing the vision of GPSNR.

In addition to the above, the Working Group is drafting the Terms of Reference (ToR) for the Equity sub-Working Group. The sub-Working Group’s focus will be on how we can ensure equity along the supply chain.

‘Policy Toolbox’ Working Group

Working Group members’ comments on the first draft of the top line policy components were consolidated and incorporated into an updated draft. For ease of understanding, it was agreed that the policy components and implementation components would be displayed in separate tables. This would allow members to more easily distinguish the policy commitments they should adopt, and the corresponding actions they should implement.

The Working Group aims to have the top line policy components finalized by the end of January for the Executive Committee’s approval.  

‘Capacity Building’ Working Group

The Working Group has designed the questionnaire on which it will base the interviews of stakeholders conducting capacity building activities in rubber-producing countries. Volunteers from the Working Group as well as the GPSNR Secretariat will contact the previously identified stakeholders and seek their input on past and existing capacity building initiatives, evaluating the success of the activities and exploring the role that GPSNR can play in ensuring that the initiatives fulfill their objectives.

‘Traceability and Transparency’ Working Group

Using the Theory of Change document as an anchor to their discussions, the Working Group was able to analyze how the lack of traceability and transparency in the natural rubber supply chain would constitute a threat to sustainability, and how to tackle the associating challenges. Next, the Working Group will start on the design of pilot studies for tools currently employed to assess supply chain risks and/or achieve supply chain traceability or transparency.