SINGAPORE—The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR) has progressed its sustainability goals with a number of new memberships and policy revisions by tire makers and smallholders.
The platform held an onboarding workshop in July, which was attended by more than 25 smallholders from the five key producing regions in Indonesia, GPSNR said in its latest update Aug. 25.
The workshop, it said, led to 24 of the smallholders formally submitting applications to join the platform as members.
The smallholder representation working group now will be taking the next steps to bring them on board, GPSNR said.
Furthermore, two tire makers and one civil society organization joined the platform in August.
The platform said it welcomed tDTR and Kraiburg, as well as civil society organization CICND earlier this month.
In addition, leading tire makers Michelin and Toyo Tires also aligned their sustainability policies with the GPSNR policy framework over the recent months.
GPSNR member companies are required to align with the policy framework within their first six months at the platform.
The Singapore-based body also is expanding its capacity building activities in Thailand and elsewhere.
A dedicated capacity building working group currently is calling for volunteers to join the GPSNR's 'Thailand national subgroup' to "conceptualize, plan and oversee implementation of capacity building initiatives in Thailand."
The same working group also is developing a platform position on agroforestry, beginning with the formation of an agroforestry task force in September.
GPSNR said the task force will review the existing literature, consult with stakeholder groups and recommend a GPSNR view on agroforestry.
