THE FAIR RUBBER PREMIUM

Through the Fair Rubber Premium, the association aims to support smallholder farmers and tappers to improve conditions in natural rubber-growing regions.
Working conditions for tappers are often poor, and world market prices for natural rubber are low. To improve the situation of local people, the Fair Rubber Premium has been introduced. It amounts to €0.50 per kilo of dry rubber content.

Companies that purchase natural rubber pay the premium to the Fair Rubber Association. Since the association was founded, a total of around 5,300,000 euros in premiums has been paid out (as of December 2025).

Fair Rubber forwards the premium to those people who actually work in rubber cultivation themselves: workers and rubber tappers on the plantations as well as smallholders who grow rubber. The prerequisite is that they meet the Fair Rubber Standard.

In addition to criteria relating to working conditions, organisation and the management of environmental aspects, the Fair Rubber Standard also sets out requirements for the management of the Fair Rubber Premium.

Smallholders and rubber tappers decide for themselves on how to use the Fair Rubber Premium. To do this, smallholders form groups and plantation workers form a so-called ‘joint body’ with the management. In this way, they decide collectively how the premium should be used to improve their living and working conditions.