FAIR RUBBER SUPPLIER PARTNERS

At present the Fair Rubber Association is cooperating with the following suppliers of Fairly Traded natural rubber:

  • Frocester, a plantation of the Horana group in Sri Lanka and the first partner
  • New Ambadi, a plantation in South India
  • Lalan Rubbers Ltd., a group of plantations in Sri Lanka
  • The Green Net Cooperative, Thailand, an association of small coconut and rubber farmers
  • The Associated Speciality Rubber Latex Farmers, a small farmers’ association in Sri Lanka
  • Klong Pom Phatthana 95, the Small Farmer Group in Hat Yai in Thailand
  • Yayasan Adil Makmur Sejahtera Cikulur, the Group of Rubber Tappers in Indonesia
  • Kelani Valley Plantations Ltd. with two plantations in Sri Lanka
  • Korfa Mal, a smallholder group in the region of Kerala, India
  • Surat Thani Sustainable Rubber Producers Association (SRA), Thailand.

FROCESTER PLANTATION IN THE SOUTH OF SRI LANKA

The Frocester plantation is part of the Horana group. It is located in the hilly south of Sri Lanka, about 11Km or 7 miles from the Horana town. The Estate primarily grows rubber, while cinnamon is also cultivated on a smaller scale. The Frocester estate contains also a factory to manufacturer rubber into Sole Crepes. About 400 people work on the plantation. Most employees live in houses on the plantation. From the Frocester plantation, Fair Rubber is sourced for sneakers and hot water bottles. The Fair Trade premiums have made possible several water tanks, the construction of a training centre and a bridge, connecting several parts of the estate with the next town (school, hospital).

THE GREEN NET COOPERATIVE FROM THAILAND

The Green Net Cooperative (GNC) is a registered is a registered “Service Cooperative” under the Ministry of Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperative since 1993. GNC is a social enterprise working to promote organic farming and fair trade. 66 of its farmer members are certified organic for coconuts – and now rubber as well. Of special importance from a Fair Trade perspective: The farmers will share any Fair Trade benefits from the Fair Trade premium with the people who do the tapping – often migrant workers (see picture: Tapping is done at night/early in the morning, when it is cool: as soon as the sun comes up the latex milk coagulates too quickly). The rubber from Green Net will go into flip flops.

SMALL FARMER GROUP HAT YAI, THAILAND

In the Southern tip of Thailand some 44 small farmers got together in the Hat Yai district and formed the “Klong Pom Phatthana 95“ association. This makes it possible for them to participate in the Fair Rubber project: From now on the members of the Fair Rubber Association can pay a Fair Trade premium for natural rubber sourced from the group’s members. Which means that at current (2020: extremely low) world market prices they can at least cover their costs, which will allow them to make a living for themselves and their families from tapping rubber.
The latex milk harvested is taken to a processor near Hat Yai.

LALAN RUBBERS LTD. IN SRI LANKA

Lalan Rubbers Ltd. comprises 13 plantations in various regions of Sri Lanka. Lalan’s participation in Fair Trade predates the founding of the Fair Rubber Association – and today Lalan is one of the premier supplier partners for members of the Fair Rubber Association. Amongst others, natural rubber from Lalan is used in household- and gardening gloves, elastic bands, balloons, and mattresses. Unfortunately this latter supply chain was interrupted for some time, as an accidental fire destroyed the mattress factory. By now a completely new production line has been installed – and hence Fair Trade premiums are flowing again, too. The joint bodies have used this money to improve drinking water systems for hundreds of families, purchase playground equipment, and make a bridge which had been damaged by a truck fit for purpose again.

NEW AMBADI, INDIA

The New Ambadi Plantation is located at the in the extreme South of India, very close to Cape Kanyakumari. By rubber standards New Ambadi is small – ca. 170 workers ad their families – but special in a number of ways: Its on site centrifuge unit focuses on high quality liquid latex, which is sought after by condom manufacturers, but also is used in mattresses and other applications. It is also a pioneer partner in Fair Trade – being one of the first to sign up to the concept. No wonder, as its management company has a reputation for high corporate social standards. The free plantation hospital e.g. caters for all surrounding villagers, too. In its use of Fair Trade premiums New Ambadi broke new ground, too, the joint body installed the first ever supplementary pension fund for rubber workers anywhere in the world.

 

ASR - LATEX FARMER'S DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, SRI LANKA

This association has some 400 members, who all supply their raw material to Associated Speciality Rubbers (ASR), where the natural rubber is either made into all kinds of dry rubber qualities, or into centrifuged (liquid) rubber. ASR is an unusual processor, as they have tried to give their small holder suppliers a better price – but market pressures make that impossible. It is hoped that the Fair Trade premium paid by Fair Rubber Association logo users can fill the gap. The Annual General Meeting annually elects a committee: all of the 20 ASR latex collection centres have to be represented by at least one person, and/or one representative for every 15 farmers. Members pay a small monthly fee, but in turn get a free food packet at X-Mas from ASR which is worth more than the membership fee. If Fair Trade sales pick up, it is hoped that another 400 small farmers supplying ASR (but not members of the Association yet) will join.

GROUP OF RUBBER TAPPERS IN INDONESIA

Rubber production in Indonesia often differs somewhat from other regions of the world: Often it is not the owners of the land and rubber trees that do the tapping – instead they hire so called ‘tappers’: These are usually labourers who do not own land and have to sell their labour, i.e. they are at the bottom of the economic hierarchy.
Furthermore, most of the natural rubber is not collected in its liquid shape (‘latex milk’), but left in the collection cup as ‘cup lump’ (which mainly goes into tyre manufacturing). Some 377 tappers in the Lebak Bante region (some 2-3 hours by car from Jakarta) have come together to form the “Yayasan Adil Makmur Sejahtera Cikulur” association. This organization makes it possible for the group to participate (with the help of the initial purchasing agent and the primary processor nearby) to be recipients of the Fair Trade premium for all natural rubber purchased by a member of the Fair Rubber Association. This extra income allows them, after years of low pricing, to live from the wages of tapping again, rather than migrate to the city for other work.

KELANI VALLEY PLANTATIONS

Kelani Valley Plantations has joined the Fair Rubber community early 2021
with two of its plantations, both located in the Yaninatota region in Sri Lanka
and one of them holding organic certification for the skim rubber and centrifuged latex they produce.
With both plantations, another 571 workers can now, together with their families, benefit from the Fair Rubber system.

KORFAMAL - KERALA ORGANIC RUBBER FARMERS ASSOCIATION

Early 2021 we could welcome a group of farmers from the Kerala region India, the Korfamal – Kerala Organic Rubber Farmers Association, as a new supplier partner. The group with 103 members strives to improve the working and living conditions of the primary producers of the natural latex as well as to promote the environment-friendly production of natural rubber with foremost benefits to those engaged in the cultivation of the natural rubber.