Natural rubber (NR) corporation Halcyon Agri has recently launched the world’s first sustainable rubber movement, Bounce, which is aimed at driving consumer change for an equitable NR industry. NR is a widely-consumed, vital component of various industries including the transport and health sectors, but as consumer awareness of NR is poor, Bounce is hoped to bolster education and sustainability options among consumers and suppliers/manufacturers.
The Bounce initiative highlights some key changes for a sustainable rubber industry, anchored by a United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). These SDGs involve paying NR farmers their domestic minimum wage and aiding their fight against climate change amongst the ever-growing innovation and digitisation efforts.
Robert Meyer, CEO of Halcyon Agri elaborates that the end goal for Bounce is to form “a hallmark for sustainable rubber produced in a fair and equitable manner to all supply chain participants.”
Unsustainable, low rubber prices have so far put immense pressure on roughly 6 million subsistence small farmers across South-East Asia and Africa, who produced 92% of NR demand last year. An outdated pricing system, severe pay inequality and under invested/uneducated farming practices, has further left the rubber industry in limbo – Meyer advocates change by all rubber players, civil society groups, and consumers especially, before the supply of NR is damaged irreparably.