2020

January

GPSNR welcomed 22 smallholders as members from Brazil, Ghana, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and Côte d’Ivoire.

February

The Strategy and Objectives Working Group finalised the TOR for an Equity Sub Working group to work on developing a shared definition of equity and  assessing the current level of equity (or lack thereof) across the natural rubber supply chain, with the help of studies on Living Wage and Living Income, which will then inform recommendations on what can be done to promote equity along the supply chain.

March

The Capacity Building working group established several regional sub-Working Groups, each of which will be responsible for developing country-specific capacity building objectives.

April

GPSNR smallholder members increase to 27, with additions from Myanmar.

June

The Capacity Building Working Group finalised 4 national capacity building strategies for Côte d’Ivoire, Indonesia, Myanmar and Thailand.

June

The Baseline Reporting Requirements pilot was conducted, and the results used to guide the development of the reporting requirements which are currently under development.

September

GPSNR’s second General Assembly is held virtually after the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic, and saw the approval of the members policy framework, which was created in alignment with the 12 principles of sustainable natural rubber.

September

The General Assembly also formally created a ‘smallholder category’ of membership, which gives all smallholders the same rights as other ordinary members, including voting and representation in the Executive Committee. Read More about the 2020 General Assembly here

October

The Capacity Building Working Group begins to recruit a Good Agricultural Practices task force that will work to identify and/or refine guiding principles for GAPs appropriate for the sustainable production of natural rubber that cater to both Industrial Plantations and Smallholder Farmers.

December

GPSNR ends a rather difficult pandemic driven year with 92 members, including 27 smallholders and a policy framework that members comply with within 6 months of their membership.