Smallholders Representation Working Group Update – January 2020

With the overarching awareness of the importance of smallholder inclusivity in GPSNR, the Smallholders Representation Working Group set out with an internal goal of 10 smallholder applicants for membership. To date, the number of applications received has more than doubled on that goal, and we are pleased to welcome a total of 22 smallholder farmers as new members thus far.

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Of the 22 applicants, one is from Brazil, four from Côte d’Ivoire, two from Ghana, five are from Indonesia, four from Thailand and six are from Vietnam.

The 2nd General Assembly on 31 March 2020 will see the proposal of a new membership category, ‘Smallholder Producers’. Should the voting on this resolution pass, smallholders will officially find their voice in global efforts to ensure a socially, economically and environmentally sound natural rubber supply chain.

Thanks to sustained funding from Partnerships for Forests (P4F), we will be able to invite the geographically diverse group of smallholders to Singapore to attend their first General Assembly, with the view to onboard them and to have smallholder producers represented in the Executive Committee via the voting of nominated individuals.

As it is important for the smallholders to understand what is required of them at the General Assembly and as an Executive Committee member, the Working Group will be scheduling several sessions, both remote and on-site, to thoroughly brief the smallholders on GPSNR’s Statutes and Code of Conduct. The smallholders will also have the opportunity to get acquainted with one another in the two days prior to the General Assembly.

In preparation for this, the appointed Country Champions of the Working Group will be assisting the smallholders in travel logistics and other administrative matters. The Working Group is also looking into engaging professional translation services at the General Assembly to emphasize impartiality.

January 26, 2020

More To Explore

News

Revisions to GPSNR Fee Schedule

The Executive Committee has approved revisions to the GPSNR Fee Schedule.

In accordance with the terms set out in the GPSNR Statutes, the new Fee Schedule will take effect from 23 February 2021.

To view the revised Fee Schedule, click here.

GPSNR Staff November 25, 2020

Members

Developing a GPSNR Assurance Model (Members Version)

Assurance is defined as demonstrable evidence that specified requirements relating to a product, process, system, person or body are fulfilled. In other words, thinking about Assurance is to ponder the question: how do we protect the credibility of our claim?

The Executive Committee (EC) has been working on an Assurance model concept since late 2019. Following the request for proposal put up in August 2019, an external consultant was engaged to conduct a review of the options for various Assurance Models that would support the desired outcomes of the Platform. In early 2020, the report from the consultant, which discussed existing approaches to Assurance and included recommendations for GPSNR’s approach to Assurance, was submitted to the EC.

The EC considered the input from the report and expanded upon its findings by conducting a thorough benchmarking of existing Assurance model approaches. Following this exercise, the EC identified and defined several key characteristics that merit inclusion in GPSNR’s Assurance model concept.

In the process of developing these key characteristics, the EC also took into account the purpose, value and benefits of an Assurance model.

A robust Assurance model would provide a credible and effective system to manage risks by supporting the achievement of sustainability impacts, focusing on accurate assessments of compliance, ensuring the effectiveness of its assurance strategies through good information management systems, and finding additional ways to create value for stakeholders.

A webinar will be held on Friday, 26 June 2020 to introduce GPSNR members to a proposed Assurance model concept. To register for the webinar, please click here.

A tabled summary of the process and timelines around the development of the Assurance model concept up until now is included below:

January 2020	Consultant report submitted to EC for review
January – February 2020	EC discussions
March 2020	Deep dive into Assurance model benchmark by EC sub-group
April 2020	EC agrees on basic characteristics to build Assurance model from
April – June 2020	Design, discussion and refinement within EC

Both the report by the external consultant and benchmark exercise completed by the EC are available to members upon request.

GPSNR Staff June 24, 2020