Secretariat Update – December 2019

GPSNR shares vision of Sustainable Natural Rubber future at 15th Global Rubber Conference in Hainan, China

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What does it take to revive the Natural Rubber economy? Could the Natural Rubber 2.0 be the ultimate game changer for the new NR economy? These were some of the difficult questions discussed at the 15th Global Rubber Conference.

Hosted in Hainan, China from 12-14 December, with a theme on ‘Natural Rubber 2.0: The Game Changer’, the conference represented a very exciting event and opportunity for networking and knowledge sharing for Natural Rubber professionals in Asia, and in the rubber industry globally.

GPSNR Director Stefano Savi participated in the conference as a speaker and panel discussion member, to share updates with the industry participants about the progress of the Platform and its working groups. “Sustainability should not be seen as a threat by producers, but an opportunity to place natural Rubber as a leader in the global commodities landscape, best placed to deliver on the UN SDGs and the 2030 agenda.” said Stefano during his remarks, adding that “GPSNR is here to support smallholders in this journey, and ensure that the cost of this sustainable shift will not be borne by farmers, but supported by the industry through the Global Platform.”

Amidst the current backdrop of the fourth industrial revolution, the conference was a good opportunity to discuss the convergence of artificial intelligence and data technology as new solutions to address innovation gaps and current low demand for NR across the globe. It is obvious that from drones to satellite images and sensor technology, the natural rubber industry is poised for a radical change. So, what role will sustainability play in this desired and required industry shift? Will the natural rubber industry take advantage of this opportunity to improve its practices, maximise its positive impact, and reposition itself as a leader in innova

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The Start of Change in the Natural Rubber Supply Chain

By James Chang Wen Jie, Michelin

In February 2022, the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber released its Theory of Change (ToC), a document which articulates how the platform aims to positively impact the supply chain and achieve its desired states.  As a representative of my company Michelin at the platform, I have been part of this intensive, fulfilling task for the last year.

While I had some previous experience with ToC frameworks for individual projects, this was the first time I was engaged in one at a multi stakeholder platform level. The major difference here, and one emblematic of the ‘GPSNR multi-stakeholder experience’, was that we needed to integrate as many perspectives and expertise as we could, from all of GPSNR’s working groups and member categories. After all, bringing this theory of change to life is a task that will eventually fall on every stakeholder represented in GPSNR. If we wanted a document that the platform could truly rally around, we needed a co-creation process built on inclusivity as well as accountability.

My fellow task team members Martin Hollands (BirdLife International) and James Laimos (Goodyear) can attest to the fact that the journey was hard work. Yet, over the two half-day platform workshops and numerous additional consultation sessions with working group chairs and interested members, the strength of the platform showed itself in the depth of insights provided during discussions, and in the rigor of the final document. I am confident we would not have arrived where we did without the unique mix of experiences and operating contexts that members had. As a representative of my organization, the exposure to a wide range of perspectives from all along the natural rubber value chain is also a valuable input to our own sustainability journey, alongside and in addition to GPSNR.

Image 1: A screenshot of me presenting how GPSNR’s Desired State will be aligned with our Theory of Change at a workshop in 2021

The most visible output of this work is this interactive web-document accessible on the GPSNR website. While it is an easy and simple introduction to our work, it is nonetheless a result of a rigorous and intensive process, which required the investment of many stakeholders (including many hours of hard deliberation by the task team!). This of course belies the question:

Does theory matter and was this time really worth it?

It’s a question the task team asked itself a number of times as well. However, my own journey in sustainability has taught me that while it is tempting to jump straight to action, issues on the ground are often more complex than they seem, and well-meaning actions can lead to unintended outcomes. We therefore not only need to know where we are going, but also need to map and understand the series of events or actions that will get us there. A theory of change exercise allows us to dig deep into the root causes of the current situation, leveraging on the experience and expertise we have across working groups and stakeholder categories to work on plans that tackle issues at their core.

Articulating the theory of change at this juncture in GPSNR’s journey also allows for a ‘stock take’ before the platform accelerates into implementation. The journey towards sustainability in the natural rubber supply chain is a complex one which requires a careful balance of environmental, social, and economic spheres. It also requires coordinating work on multiple action areas (i.e., the work of GPSNR’s many working groups) to make sure that our activities truly address identified root problems without any major gaps.

In fact, these conversations did end up identifying some gaps, and spurred us to explore solutions. For example, a member brought up the point that real impact across the world’s 6 million smallholders would mean that GPSNR would need some way to multiply its impact beyond farmers benefited through direct involvement in GPSNR or its capacity building programmes. Further conversation and the sharing of case studies from experiences in other commodities identified that a key intervention to tackle will be to empower networks of farmers that can promulgate good practices in, and beyond their communities.

As the world emerges from the aftermath of the pandemic and unprecedented supply chain disruptions, being clear on what we need to do to truly make an impact is more important than ever. I hope that interacting with GPSNR’s Theory of Change will give you a good idea of where we’re headed, and how we hope to get there!

View GPSNR’s Theory Of Change here

GPSNR Staff February 22, 2022

GPSNR Working Groups Update: September 2023

Strategy and Objectives Working Group:
The Traceability Pilot Field Trials consortiums Agridence and Koltiva have presented the final reports, which have been distributed within the Risk Subgroup. 

The Risk Subgroup has extended an invitation to ASI to share the formula behind the Risk Assessment Framework. This ensures that the framework is malleable to fit the dynamics of the Natural Rubber Industry. 

Furthermore, the Risk Subgroup has solidified plans for an initial pilot trial in collaboration with ASI, focusing on the establishment of Indonesia’s national risk assessment.

The resolution for the Assurance Model has been finalised and is currently in circulation among the wider membership for voting. The Member’s Journey Model and Assurance Model Timeline are slated for voting at GA 2023. The following items have been included in the Resolution as a strong basis for future consultations and discussions following GA 2023: Shared Investment Mechanism, Assurance Model Framework, and KPIs.

The Risk Subgroup is awaiting proposals from the Basel Institute in addressing corruption within Rubber Supply Chains from the ASI Risk Tool, Reporting Requirements and doing a qualitative corruption data analysis. 

Furthermore, the Risk Subgroup anticipates developments in the Assurance Model in December 2023, before proceeding with the expansion of the Risk Tool and the pre-setting of national risk levels. This ensures that the Risk Tool is not developed in silo and is in alignment with the other components of the Assurance Model.

Lastly, the Risk Subgroup intends to conduct an analysis of the Risk Tool with the Policy Framework to further understand how granular should Risk Assessment reach. For example, is Risk Assessment sufficient on a theme level or would it be necessary to deep dive into the Policy Component level.  

Smallholders Representation and Capacity Building (SCB) Working Group:
The Thailand Agroforestry subgroup conducted a KPI workshop before the Agroforestry training in October 2023. The subgroup is gearing up to conduct the inaugural set of Agroforestry training sessions, benefiting 100 farmers in Songkhla in October 2023.

Additionally, a productive knowledge exchange session took place involving the Agroforestry-Income Diversification task force, Pak Febrius, and the Thailand Agroforestry Subgroups.

Meanwhile, the Thailand GAP subgroup successfully finalised a contractual agreement with Koltiva and will hold its kick-off meeting, marking the first meeting since the start of the project.

The HCSA-HCVN Field Trials task force presented its final report to the SCB WG for endorsement.

The Digital Knowledge Sharing Platform (KSP) task force has conducted two pre-pilot development meetings and the Rubber Wiki app was officially launched on the Google Play Store. The task force is planning a training session tailored for task force and secretariat members, focusing on the effective management of Rubber Wiki. Following the app’s official launch, the KSP contractor will organise group socialising events in Indonesia and Thailand, aimed at introducing the app and gathering valuable user feedback.

Lastly, the SCB WG is gearing up for both national and international calls with smallholder members, an essential part of the preparations leading up to GA2023.

Policy Toolbox Working Group:
During the Year 1 Reporting Review process, input on the reporting process was gathered from members through a survey and stakeholder-specific meetings. This feedback will be used to inform revisions to the Reporting Matrix and disclosure requirements for reporting Years 2 and 3, aligning with the Transparent Reporting Roadmap (TRR).

The WG selected consultant Petra Westerlaan to propose a quantitative orientation for the reporting matrix and conducting a crosswalk with other established reporting frameworks such as CDP Forest, GRI, and ZSL-SPOTT. This quantification approach is expected to facilitate data aggregation and will make evaluating annual progress easier.

The Resolution for the Disclosure Requirements for Reporting Requirements has been finalised and is will be presented to the membership for voting. 

Lastly, quantification from Petra Westerlaan has been completed and the Working Group will embark on further consultations with the Working Group to prepare the updated Reporting Requirements to be approved at an extraordinary GA.

Shared Responsibility Working Group: The Shared Investment Mechanism (SIM) Resolution has been subsumed under the Assurance Model Resolution for approval in the 2023 GA, as a strong basis for further consultation and discussion after the GA. This is due to the integral role of the KPIs, which has not been finalised, in the implementation of the SIM. 

Value and benefits per category to be defined.

The Secretariat is looking into the development of guidance for the operation of the SIM.

Additionally, there is a co-chair seat open, and we are calling for interested volunteers.

GPSNR Secretariat September 27, 2023

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Members commit to this policy framework and report on these questions

POLICY FRAMEWORK
REPORTING REQUIREMENTS