Great potential for natural rubber durability, experts say

Natural rubber is one of the world’s four largest sources of wood. The industry, which is mostly small-scale, employs an estimated 40 million people and generates more than $ 300 billion a year.

Experts say sustainable adoption of the value chain will strengthen smallholder farmers’ resilience to climate and market shocks, alleviate the climate crisis, and improve the livelihoods of smallholders.

“Plastic is a symbol of green economy and sustainability because it contributes to climate change by replacing man-made materials and fossils,” said Vincent Gitz, director of programs and forums and Latin American director of CIFOR-ICRAF. “It is important to increase the visibility of the rubber and put in place methods that facilitate a comfortable environment and sustainable operations.”

The XV World Forest Congress in Seoul, Korea, is part of a formal side-by-side event to discuss green economy growth on natural-rubber systems.

Three related issues that attracted the attention of researchers, government officials and experts who attended the event, both face-to-face and in real life, were science, economics and policy.

Science

CIFOR:

For example, rubber trees are more water-efficient compared to coconuts, acacia and eucalyptus, said Ken Ragavan, executive director of the Indian Board of Trade at the Ministry of Trade and Industry.

“Cultivation of rubber creates less emissions due to low demand for fertilizer and promotes soil health because farmers rarely need it,” he said. “Natural-rubber crops can support a wide variety of other plants that increase biodiversity. The rubber trees are often wrapped in medicinal plants, food crops and fruit trees.

However, global warming will begin to limit the areas where natural rubber grows.

“The International Gym Research and Development Board is focusing on breeding solid breeds and tire improvement and production technologies,” said Abdul Aziz, secretary general of the board.

The Board is collecting wild rubber varieties from Amazon to strengthen farm implements.

Lechshmi Nair Science, head of economics and statistics at the International Tire Research Group, emphasizes the importance of the transition to the zero-zero natural-rubber sector. The team explores collaborative efforts that increase the percentage of natural rubber used worldwide and encourage sustainable practices.

“Currently, 47 percent of the world’s rubber consumption comes from natural sources,” she said, noting that governments and companies’ commitment to reducing emissions must grow if they are to be fulfilled.

Economics

The science of natural-rubber farms has a direct impact on the economy because companies like giant giant Michelle have to maintain supply and make the transition to 100 percent natural rubber by 2050. Depending on the weather, you may continue to grow tires.

“Right now, our priority is to reduce emissions through efficient tires and transportation,” said Michelle Natural Tire Chief Technical Officer Theory Ceres.

Natural rubber is not only used in tires, but. According to Aziz, it is used in more than 40,000 products worldwide, which could lead to further growth in the future.

Ben Wicker, a senior expert with the Green Climate Fund, agrees that the tire industry is growing at an annual rate of 2.7 percent and that there are no signs of slowing down.

“Sustaining this supply will require the private sector to accelerate its efforts to achieve the goal of 100% sustainable tire production in the coming decades,” he said.

CIFOR-ICRAF Managing Director Robert Nassie said that plastic is indeed ‘natural’ and that it is a 100 percent essential part of a sustainable supply chain.

“Currently, the industry lacks the same level of certification or sustainability to market a sustainable tire brand,” he warned.

According to Richard Lati, program manager for Southeast Asia, the forest certification program will help fill this gap.

“The program is in talks with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” he said. [ASEAN] And there are pilot projects in different countries.

The ASEAN Advisory Committee has a task force to identify the top natural rubber producers in countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, according to Diane Sukmajaya.

The policies

Evidence for researchers and best practices for businesses have a comprehensive policy framework that focuses on small business owners to make a significant impact on the climate crisis.

Smaller owners, such as the Cowid-19 epidemic, produce much of the world’s natural rubber and must continue to produce despite rising weather shocks, low market prices, and unforeseen circumstances such as the CVD-19 epidemic.

“There are millions of small farms and their families that depend on this crop, so it is important to ensure that consumers and policymakers get a fair share of their efforts,” he said.

Nonprofits play an important role in developing effective policies. Mooi See Tor, Deputy Director General of Southeast Asia, said that they are advocating for the development of networks, strategies, monitoring, reporting and linking between small holdings, governments and the private sector.

According to the Association of Tire Producers and Processors of the Association of Brazilian Associations, Paulista de Produtores and Beneficiadores de Boracha (APABOR / Sao Paulo), “direct policy intervention by governments will increase forest cover while boosting the natural-plastic industry.”

Brazilian national law requires producers to convert 20 percent of their land into natural forests, which could be a chance for small owners to snatch natural rubber – a traditional Indonesian practice – as an additional source of income. Natural rubber will help restore 20 million hectares of degraded grassland in the country.

Emily Gallagher, a rural development expert at CIFOR-ICRAF, emphasizes the need for comprehensive and equitable supply chains for women’s labor to be identified and evaluated.

“The industry can lead the way to improve capacity, employment – life balance, safety and well-being,” she said.

Other activities, including women’s committees and gender policies, will help keep the industry out of the picture.

The side event was jointly organized by the Forest, Tree and Agroforestry Partnership. International Forest Research and International Agro-Forestry (CIFOR-ICRAF); International Tire Study Group; And the International Tire Research and Development Board.

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