The Sustainable Natural Rubber Initiative (SNR-i)
The Sustainable Natural Rubber Initiative (SNR-i) has been developed under the framework of the IRSG as a voluntary and collaborative industry project to ensure that the rubber industry can build on its best practices plus demonstrate and communicate throughout the natural rubber value chain.The initiative was recommended on a high priority basis by the Industry Advisory Panel and the Sustainable Natural Rubber Working Group (SNRWG) was established with a view to defining voluntary sustainability standards regarding the broader natural rubber sector.The working group members, representing the complete NR value chain (including representatives from international organisations), developed an Action Plan to explain the factors driving this initiative and brought forward proposals for its design and implementation.The Action Plan defined a set of five value chain criteria for a voluntary verification system targeted on a wide stakeholder participation. From these criteria, indicators...

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Get Involved

SNR-i is a multi-stakeholder initiative and we encourage participation from all sections of the supply chain to contribute to the sustainability journey of the global natural economy.

Potential Benefits of being a Self-Declared value chain player

This is the first step an organisation can demonstrate in it's journey towards embracing sustainability in natural rubber.

  • Access to best practices on agricultural, environmental and social aspects.
  • Increased efficiency and productivity with sustainable natural rubber practices.
  • Creating positive impact on environmental and social issues collectively.
  • Helping to support better livelihoods and working conditions for farmers and farm workers.
  • International Market Access to Sustainable Natural Rubber.
  • Ensure a more sustainable and secure future for natural rubber.
  • Share best practices, create stories and collect evidence that will resonate with your stakeholders.
  • A strategic platform to create & influence policies and key decisions.
  • Build partnerships and strong relationships across the public,...

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Voluntary Guidelines and Criteria

The complete SNR-i Criteria, Indicators and KPIs Version 1 document is available from here.

Performance indicator 1.1: Optimizing the planting of recommended clones
Performance indicator 1.2: Optimizing planting density
Performance indicator 1.3: Optimizing fertilizers and chemical use

Performance indicator 2.1: Commitment to natural rubber quality
Performance indicator 2.2: Compliance with testing and grading

Performance indicator 3.1: Compliance with relevant local legal requirements
Performance indicator 3.2: Protection/conservation of protected areas

Performance indicator 4.1: Compliance with relevant local legal requirements and local customary water use rights
Performance indicator 4.2: Treatment of industrial waste water

Performance indicator 5.1: Child labour and minimum age for workers
Performance indicator 5.2: Forced labour
Performance indicator 5.3: Freedom of association and collective bargaining

FAQs

To secure a global sustainable natural rubber economy that delivers benefits across the whole of the natural rubber value chain. This initiative is helpful to demonstrate the sustainability credentials of this most environmentally-friendly polymer.

SNR-i has been developed under the framework of the IRSG as a voluntary and collaborative industry initiative to ensure that the rubber industry can build on its best practices, demonstrate and communicate throughout the natural rubber value chain. It is being developed through a sustainable natural rubber working group composed of representatives from all sectors of the natural rubber value chain. The action plan proposed a set of five value chain criteria for a voluntary verification system for the wider stakeholder participation. From these criteria, indicators and KPIs have been developed and further field tested for implementation of the SNR-i that may allow organisations to participate in this voluntary initiative on a self-certification basis.

Yes, during the initial phase of this initiative, an audit of sustainability initiatives in other commodities was carried out and the lessons learned from such initiatives were helpful in the design of the SNR-i action plan.

To start the process, the sustainable natural rubber working group proposed a set of five simple criteria covering social, environment and economic aspects of sustainability that could demonstrate best practices in the Natural Rubber value chain. These five criteria were the primary focus of follow-up consultations with stakeholders for the purpose of further defining and refining the relevant criteria and performance indicators.

Sustainable Natural Rubber is the natural rubber that has been verified to comply with the SNR-i criteria and indicators.

SNR-i Industry Guidance provides the proposed SNR-i Criteria, Indicators and KPIs and the implementation framework that natural rubber organisations may want to follow to implement the SNR-i Voluntary Initiative. Sustainable Natural Rubber industry guidance has been developed through wide and thorough stakeholder consultation

Yes, it covers any organisation along the natural rubber value chain.

No, this initiative is voluntary and requires only self-declaration/certification by any organisation within the natural rubber value chain that wishes to verify compliance against the SNR-i criteria and indicators. This initiative has built-in review stages so that it can adapt and change as the interests of stakeholders change with time.

• Implementation Procedures

  • Whenever an organisation within the natural rubber value chain wishes to verify compliance against the SNR-i criteria and indicators, the organisation shall implement the SNR-i verification procedure to demonstrate the sustainable origin of natural rubber products.

• Implementation Requirements

  • Monitoring of compliance through the collection of appropriate self-declarations by all SNR-i participants and maintain records.
  • Field visits can be performed whenever required or to respond to a specific question.
  • List of SNR-i participants and records of related volumes of Sustainable Natural Rubber sourced, processed and/or traded will be maintained.
  • Records need to be provided to IRSG on an quarterly basis so that statistics on Sustainable Natural Rubber can be maintained on a confidential basis.

Sourcing of Sustainable Natural Rubber can be ensured through a SNR-i self-declaration signed by the supplier(s)

Segregation between verified Sustainable Natural Rubber and non-verified natural rubber can be achieved through physical separation or through the implementation of a credit system/ mass balance system.

Small growers can choose to be covered under the Sustainable Natural Rubber group procedure, under which small growers may declare compliance with the SNR-i criteria as a group rather than on individual basis.

This initiative will be formally launched from 1st January 2015; the first formal reporting will be on February 2016; first fine-tuning of criteria/KPIs in January 2017; followed by a periodic review of criteria/KPIs every 3 years.