Strategy and Objectives Working Group Update – January 2020

In preparation for the finalized desired state and Theory of Change proposals to be presented at the upcoming 2nd General Assembly, the Working Group has observed the need to develop a user-friendly document for the communication of their deliverables to the rest of the GPSNR members.

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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.

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GPSNR Working Groups Update: December 2021

What a year! All our working groups successfully overcame the challenges of remote working and time-zone coordination, while moving the needle on sustainability in natural rubber. Here are their updates for December 2021:

Strategy and Objectives Working Group

The group has finalized the Theory of change, which is currently in the process of being designed for public communications. They have also published the Environmental Risk Study, which can be found here.  Currently, the group is working on developing the RFP for the Economic Risk Study, which will be published and worked on in 2022. The group is also working on developing next steps for itself based on the finalized Theory of Change.

Smallholder Representation Working Group

In 2021, the working group onboarded 39 new smallholders at GPSNR. In 2022, they will be focussing on mapping out the possibility of smallholder onboarding workshops in Columbia, Ghana, Liberia and Malaysia, which are countries with a relatively lower representation of smallholders within GPSNR. From January 2022, they will also be busy with developing a Smallholders Policy Framework. 

Policy Toolbox Working Group

The group saw a major milestone in the approval of the reporting requirements at the 2021 General Assembly. In 2022, they will be busy developing guidance for thereporting requirements and a transparency roadmap before the reporting cycle begins in mid-2022. At the same time, the group continues to refine the Implementation Guidance before the General Assembly of 2022. 

Capacity Building Working Group

The group recently hosted a webinar on GPSNR’s Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) before the 2021 General Assembly, and published two RFPs for the assessment of the Knowledge Sharing Platform and GAP coaching for Indonesia respectively. In the next few months, it will focus on kickstarting the Thailand national sub-working group, advancing agroforestry implementation plans for GPSNR as well continuing to advance capacity building implementation in Indonesia and Ivory Coast. 

Traceability and Transparency Working Group

The Traceability and Transparency working group has requested members’ input on the traceability benchmark and will work on refining it based on the feedback received. You can take a look at the draft benchmark here and give your feedback here before 31st December. 

Shared Responsibility Working Group

The working group has discussed and explored solutions to address the root causes identified for each of the three focus areas of Shared Responsibility. It has also identified a consultant to support the development of a shared responsibility framework. In 2022, the group will draft activities and framework for Shared Responsibility for integration into other processes such as the Implementation Guidance and align with other working groups. 

 

GPSNR Staff December 15, 2021

Shared Responsibility in Action: Goodyear and GM Support Smallholder Rubber in Indonesia

Indonesia is the world’s second-largest producer of natural rubber, a material vital to the global tire and automotive supply chain, which consumes more than 70% of global production. However, the country’s smallholder farmers, who produce the majority of this rubber, face mounting challenges, including aging tree stock, limited technical support, and decreasing participation from younger generations.

Figure. 1

To help address these structural issues, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has supported the Smallholder GAP Coaching Project since its launch in 2022 under the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR). In its third phase (September 2024 to September 2025), Goodyear is joined by General Motors (GM) as a co-funder. As shown in Fig. 1, this phase has exceeded its target, reaching 2,767 smallholders in South Sumatra (target: 2,700).

 

Coaching the Next Generation

This project established participation targets of at least 40% women and 20% youth. By July 2025, these benchmarks were not only met but exceeded — 1,182 women (109%) and 791 youth (146%) have received coaching.

One of these youth participants is a 24-year-old farmer from South Sumatra who manages a 1.5-hectare rubber plot inherited from her family. Despite challenges, she continues to tap daily and maintain the farm herself. Through the project, a farm assessment revealed previously undiagnosed leaf disease. With targeted support, she learned to identify early symptoms, adopt better tapping practices, and implement yield-improving interventions.

 

Planting for the Future, Earning in the Present

 In Musi Rawas, the project’s sole demonstration plot highlights how regenerative practices can offer both environmental and economic benefits. The 0.25-hectare agroforestry site, managed by 54-year-old Subarni, was converted from a 33-year-old jungle rubber plot into a more productive and diversified system.

With support from the project implementation team, Subarni replanted 120 improved rubber clones and intercropped the land with bananas, peanuts, and durian. The peanuts alone are expected to yield approximately 150 kilograms every four months, beginning in July 2025 — a critical alternate source of income during the long replanting period.

“Normally, you wait years after replanting rubber before seeing any return,” he said. “Now, I see income while waiting too, and that gives me the motivation to keep going.”

Beyond immediate income, long-term investments like durian, a high-value crop locally known for its premium quality, reflect how smallholders are planning beyond subsistence. The demonstration plot now serves as a practical model for neighbouring farmers exploring integrated, sustainable rubber production.

 

Digital Tools for Real-World Change

Complementing in-person coaching is RubberWiki, a mobile app developed to extend learning beyond the field. As of July 2025, 549 farmers have been successfully onboarded, just over the initial target of 540.

The app offers training modules and real-time rubber price updates, which have proven especially valuable. “I check it almost every day,” said 40-year-old Partini, who uses it to monitor price fluctuations. Others, like 35-year-old Ari, revisit coaching content through the app in the evenings.

By offering flexible, on-demand learning, RubberWiki helps ensure that farmers can continue to build knowledge and confidence well after formal sessions have concluded.

 

A Model for Shared Industry Commitment

Goodyear has supported the GAP Coaching Project since its earliest days, recognizing that smallholders form the backbone of the global natural rubber value chain. In Phase 3, Goodyear invited General Motors to co-fund the initiative, reflecting a growing movement toward shared accountability across the supply chain.

“Smallholders are the foundation of the natural rubber industry,” said Chuan Heng, Associate Director, GOCPL Natural Rubber, Goodyear. “And, Goodyear, as part of GPSNR, engages in programs that support the natural rubber industry’s move towards a more sustainable supply chain.“

General Motors’ contribution also highlights its broader commitment to responsible sourcing. By funding smallholder-centred programs like this, GM is helping to ensure that sustainability principles are embedded at the very beginning of the rubber lifecycle, where real transformation begins.

Together, Goodyear and GM have shown that when downstream actors work together, the impact is tangible: higher participation from women and youth, expanded access to digital tools, and better agronomic outcomes for thousands of smallholders.

GPSNR Secretariat November 7, 2025
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