Introducing GPSNR Topic Talks! Webinar Series

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GPSNR Topic Talks! is a new webinar series organised by the GPSNR Secretariat and presented by GPSNR members. The webinars will take place over three Tuesdays in October and November, and will cover three main themes around sustainability and the global natural rubber supply chain.

The first Topic Talk, a presentation by Philippe Thaler from CIRAD on the implications of EU legislation on imported deforestation, took place just yesterday night. The webinar was well attended by GPSNR members from various membership categories. In his presentation, Philippe covered the current status of EU commitments towards avoiding imported deforestation and how France has started implementing its policy. He also elaborated on the demand from French institutions to CIRAD to assess compliance with this policy in natural rubber. He concluded with some examples of how GPSNR can demonstrate the platform’s positive impacts in this context. The Q&A session afterward allowed for a deeper dive into the topic, as well as opening up some interesting questions on the use of alternative tools apart from compliance and assurance that can also help stakeholders progress towards their zero deforestation goals.

The next Topic Talks will focus on the themes of smallholder solutions as well as assurance and smallholders. More details on the upcoming webinars are provided in the subsequent section of this article. GPSNR members may contact the Secretariat to register for the webinars.

Smallholder Solutions: From Income Diversification to Landscape Approaches

3 November 2020 | 7PM (GMT+8)   

This webinar consists of two presentations:

“A landscape-level approach to inclusion and capacity building for rubber smallholders”

Presented by: Kirana Megatara, Proforest & SNV

This presentation is based on experience from the Kelola-Sendang project in South Sumatra, where SNV, with Proforest support, worked with rubber smallholders in the context of a large jurisdictional initiative. New links were built between these groups and a crumb rubber factory buyer in the Kirana group, helping to streamline the supply chain and open channels of communication on sustainability issues.

“Exploring Smallholder Solutions in the Rubber Sector – The Processing and Sale of Rubberwood to Support Smallholder Financing in Indonesia”

Presented by: WWF with Financial Access

HeveaConnect, Target Corporation, and World Wildlife Fund are engaged in finding solutions to enhance the production and trade of sustainable natural rubber. The three organizations came together in 2019 around the shared interest in understanding how the processing and sale of rubberwood might incentivize the adoption of sustainable practices by natural rubber smallholders and enhance their livelihoods. We enlisted the services of Financial Access to analyze the potential of rubberwood to serve as a mechanism to support smallholder financing in Indonesia. Although the scope of the analysis was limited to two provinces in Sumatra, the findings of this study could be used there and elsewhere in Indonesia to inform the development of sustainable natural rubber initiatives that include the processing and trade of rubberwood as one of several strategies to support equity in natural rubber supply chains.

Assurance and Smallholders: Learning from Existing Schemes

24 November | 7PM (GMT+8)

This webinar consists of two presentations:

“FSC Smallholder Certification Solutions”

Presented by: FSC

The presentation will cover FSC’s solutions for smallholders to become certified. First, an overview of the evaluation of certification solutions for smallholders will be given. FSC’s existing solutions will be covered, with a focus on the benefits for FSC Group Certification. Next, solutions in the pipeline will be covered, addressing the impact of pilot projects and highlighting success stories.

“PEFC, a system of choice for rubber smallholders”

Presented by: PEFC

Through a comprehensive explanation of PEFC, PEFC will elaborate further on their unique bottom-up approach in standard-setting and certification. Why and how this approach makes PEFC a system of choice for rubber smallholders and all companies involved in the natural rubber supply chain. They will also showcase current collaborative projects with their national members and companies to support smallholder producers. PEFC will explain how it will benefit GPSNR members and the work that GPSNR is engaged in.

More To Explore
News

Smallholders Representation Working Group Update – November 2019

With the input from the workshop in Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil (and soon Cote d’Ivoire and Vietnam), the smallholders representation working group is finalizing the definition of ‘smallholders’ which will be needed to open up a new category of membership. Recognizing the experience and effort that IRSG/SNRi had already invested in this work, Smallholders Representation Working Group invited IRSG to discuss the definition of ‘smallholders’.  

While many countries have their own definition of ‘smallholders’ based on the size of their land, the Smallholders representation Working Group agreed other characteristics of smallholders (such as income provenance, level of dependency on family labour, economic constraints, etc) should also be considered. 

As the definition of ‘smallholders’ are affiliated to the work scope Strategy 2 – Capacity Building Working Group, the Smallholders Representation Working Group members are working closely with Strategy 2 – Capacity Building Working Group members to ensure that there is alignment in definition between smallholders in the natural rubber supply chain and smallholders that will become GPSNR member.

In the meantime, a successful third workshop in Brazil concluded this week, with a series of learnings for GPSNR on the organisation of farmers in the region, and their expectations from the future collaboration with the Platform. The workshop also achieved good progress on the identification of potential candidates for membership in GPSNR, both by single farmers and producers associations.

GPSNR Staff November 21, 2019

From Scrubs to Sustainability

 

As I stood in the rubber processing factory of Halcyon Agri, the burnt smell of rubber and the deafening thumping of the machines assuaging my senses, I couldn’t help but reflect on the remarkable turn my life had taken in the past two years. 

 

In 2023, I traded my scrubs, the fast-paced emergency cases and the quintessential chaos of veterinary clinics to join the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) as a Communications and Membership Outreach Associate. As the smell, heat, and sheer scale of operations of Halcyon’s processing plant continued to burn an imprint on my mind, it made me realise the transition to GPSNR has been grounding me in a reality far removed from any veterinary clinic.

 

A worker performs quality control, carefully removing foreign pieces from compacted rubber before it gets packaged

In the veterinary field, where precision and care are everything, from diagnosing a complex case or suturing a wound, every action demands meticulousness. At the plant, while the scale and context were vastly different, the underlying principle remained unchanged. Every stage of rubber processing, from chopping the raw material into finer pieces to washing, drying, and packaging, played a critical role in meeting the exacting standards of tyre manufacturers. 

 

As I observed the Halcyon team navigating the plant with practised ease, I couldn’t help but draw parallels between my two worlds. Just as a misstep in surgery could mean life or death, inefficiencies in the supply chain could have far-reaching consequences for sustainability and livelihoods.

 

The factory floor reminded me that the path to sustainability is not linear. It’s a series of interconnected actions, each requiring deliberate effort and foresight. From supporting smallholder farmers to refining processing methods, every step in the rubber supply chain offers an opportunity to make an impact.

 

Water treatment facility located in Halcyon Agri

 

This interconnectedness is also reflected in how Halcyon manages its most essential resource: water. Any water used to wash the rubber is filtered, treated, and reused, creating a closed-loop system that minimises waste. This approach exemplifies the idea that sustainability is not about isolated actions but about fostering a system where resources flow and regenerate, much like nature itself. It’s a reminder that every step, no matter how small, contributes to a larger ecosystem of care and responsibility.

 

Chopped rubber before drying

This experience reinforced an essential truth for me: no matter the industry, meaningful change requires collaboration, innovation, and a willingness to learn. It also reminded me that stepping out of my comfort zone was not just a career move but a personal growth journey.

 

The journey from scrubs to sustainability has been anything but straightforward, yet it’s filled with lessons that resonate deeply. Whether it’s the precision of factory operations or the broader mission of creating a sustainable future, the experience at Halcyon’s processing plant reminded me why I chose this path.

 

The smell of processed rubber may fade from my memory, but the lessons learned here will stay with me. Sustainability, much like veterinary care, is about ensuring a thriving future, one step at a time.

 

GPSNR Secretariat January 9, 2025

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