Singapore, 14 September 2020: The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) will convene its 2nd General Assembly virtually on 23 September 2020.
The event will bring together more than 80 members of the Platform, representing various sectors of the natural rubber industry, including natural rubber processors and traders, tire manufacturers, and car manufacturers, as well as civil society. These members will be joined, for the first time, by 28 natural rubber smallholders who joined as members of the global multi-stakeholder initiative earlier this year.
“Smallholders produce about 85% of global natural rubber, and their inclusivity has been a priority of GPSNR since its formation,” said GPSNR Director Stefano Savi. “Smallholders play a key role in driving the natural rubber sustainability agenda, starting with our General Assembly, where they will vote on issues that will set the Platform’s strategy and direction.”
The annual General Assembly involves voting on resolutions proposed by members of the Platform. Amongst this year’s resolutions is one that aims to create a new membership category especially for natural rubber smallholders. If approved, the resolution will see an additional three seats on the Executive Committee, comprising elected representatives from amongst the 28 new smallholder members of the Platform.
Another proposed resolution calls for the endorsement of a policy framework for natural rubber production and sourcing for GPSNR member companies. The proposed framework builds upon the Platform’s existing set of 12 Principles of Sustainable Natural Rubber, listing specific policy components for member companies to integrate into their company policies and documents around sustainable natural rubber. Within the proposed policy components are key commitments to upholding human rights, supporting supply chain traceability, and producing and sourcing in line with the HCV Approach and the High Carbon Stock Approach (HCSA). If approved, the policy framework will be applicable to all GPSNR member companies, who together make up almost 50% of global natural rubber market volume.
The outcome of the voting will be announced during the General Assembly online event.
GPSNR members also demonstrate their commitment to sustainable natural rubber through other facets of the Platform’s work, such as by developing capacity-building initiatives which will aim at equipping rubber smallholders with better farming material and knowledge of good agricultural practices to increase their productivity and improve and diversify their income.
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Register here for the Second General Assembly of the GPSNR
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