Nina Granerød, one of the founders behind the Scandinavian flip-flop brand Sleepers, reports in our interview how the idea for a sustainable flip-flop from Norway came about. Since 2019, Sleepers are on the market with the Fair Rubber logo, and more than 100 000 pairs have been sold globally. As Norwegians, how did you come …
The European Union has just adopted the Deforestation Regulation (EUDR), thereby leaping towards deforestation-free supply chains for EU manufacturers and traders and tackling this large driver of climate change and biodiversity loss. As tropical deforestation is mainly caused by the expansion of agricultural land, the regulation will strive to effectively ban rubber and rubber derivatives …
EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) – Implications on the Rubber Sector Read More »
Natural rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) are, of course, best known for the production of latex milk, which is turned into anything from bottle teats to airplane tires. At the end of their productive life, usually after about 35 years, the trees are cut down and their wood is used for furniture or other wooden items. …
Did you know that rubber trees have sweet spots? Read More »
A fungus threatens global rubber production Over the past few years, a fungus has reduced latex yields by 20 to 40 percent in many growing regions. The fungal pandemic In 2016, the first major outbreak of Pestalotiopsis was recorded on a plantation in the north of Sumatra. Since then the disease has been spreading rapidly. …
Companies that join the Fair Rubber Association pay an annual membership fee based on company sales and a fair trade premium per kilogram of rubber purchased. Since the summer of 2012, approximately 2,960 tons of Dry Rubber Content (DRC) have been traded that meet the criteria for Fair Trade rubber. Over the past 10 years, …
1.5 million euros in fair trade premium for farmers and tappers Read More »
At the last General Meeting of the Fair Rubber Association at the end of April 2022, members confirmed Chairman David Löw Beer in office for another two years. Felix Jahn, CSR officer at bicycle tire manufacturer Schwalbe, was also elected as a new member of the board. He has also taken over the position of …
Online retailer Amazon has recognized Fair Rubber as a trusted seal for sustainable rubber: Customers can now find products with the Fair Rubber logo more easily through Amazon’s Climate Pledge Friendly program on the online marketplace. It is now also possible to search for Fair Rubber items in individual product categories. Alternatively, shoppers can get …
Thailand is the largest rubber producer in the world. Fair Rubber e.V. has two smaller supplier partners there, followed by a third in the Surat Thani region at the beginning of 2022. In May, for the first time after the withdrawal of the Corona restrictions, a delegation of the Fair Rubber Association traveled to the …
Visit to partners in Thailand: Solidarity in action Read More »
15 years ago I went on my first trip to try and find a rubber producer willing to supply a few 100 kg of rubber under ‘Fair Trade’ conditions for the foot/soccer balls I was trying to sell at the time. At the end of 2020, the members of the Fair Rubber Association (FRA), which …
The FRA introduced its first stand alone criteria document in 2018 (before that it had relied on other related criteria sets). After three years of experience in all countries where we have supplier partners, the criteria document has been revised: No basics needed to be changed – but the explanations of which regulations apply to …