Why we need sustainable rubber

Every time someone buys a car tyre, a pair of rubber gloves or a surgical tube, the transaction connects them - invisibly - to a smallholder farmer tapping trees in the forests of Southeast Asia. Natural rubber is one of the world's most essential commodities, yet few consumers think about where it comes from or what its production costs the planet. 

Thailand alone supplies around 35% of global natural rubber. The vast majority is grown not on vast industrial estates but by some 1.7 million smallholder farmers -families working small plots, exposed to volatile markets and, too often, reliant on methods that damage the land they depend on. Pesticides degrade soil and harm biodiversity.  

In other rubber producing regions, land grabbing from indigenous communities has compounded the harm. And unlike oil palm or soy, rubber has largely escaped the scrutiny that drives reform. 

From commitments to proof 

That is beginning to change. The Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber - GPSNR - brings together more than 400 organisations representing over half of global natural rubber demand. Its Assurance System provides a structured, risk-based framework that checks how member companies put their sustainability commitments into practice: mapping supply chains, managing deforestation risk, conducting human rights due diligence and investing in shared solutions across complex, multi-tier value chains. The point is not just to make promises, but to verify them. 

 "The challenge now shows how sustainability commitments are being implemented in practice. Credible certification and verification systems can help companies identify gaps, strengthen their systems and demonstrate progress." 

Sandra Razanamandranto, Regional Engagement and Communications Director, Preferred by Nature  

A first for the sector 

Preferred by Nature has now become the first organisation approved to deliver assessments under the GPSNR Assurance System - a milestone that brings independent, third-party rigour to a framework built by the sector for the sector. For GPSNR Director Stefano Savi, the approval signals something important: "Preferred by Nature's strong reputation, technical expertise and global operational scale make it ideally placed to help our members turn their sustainability commitments into verified practice. This is the credible, consistent assurance infrastructure the natural rubber sector needs."  

On the ground in Asia, Africa and Latin America, Preferred by Nature is experiencing what that shift looks like in practice: smallholders earning fairer prices for FSC-certified rubber; supply chains made transparent from plantation to port. The EU Deforestation Regulation is now raising the bar further, requiring importers to document the precise origin of the commodities they buy. 

The tyre on your car started as sap on a tree. What happens between those two points matters - and now, increasingly, it can be proven. 

GPSNR at a glance 

1. Founded with purpose. GPSNR was established to drive sustainability across the entire natural rubber value chain — from smallholder farms to global manufacturers and brands. 

2. Representing the majority. GPSNR's 400+ member organisations account for more than 50% of global natural rubber demand, giving the platform significant leverage to shape industry norms. 

3. Built for accountability. The GPSNR Assurance System checks how member companies implement their sustainability commitments in practice — covering supply-chain mapping, deforestation risk, human rights due diligence and shared investment across value chains. 

4. A first milestone reached. Preferred by Nature has become the first organisation in the world approved to conduct third-party assessments under the GPSNR's Assurance System, bringing independent verification to the framework for the first time. 

5. Aligned with regulation. GPSNR certification supports companies in meeting the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) and other emerging due diligence frameworks, providing a structured route to demonstrating responsible sourcing. 

Feature image: Preferred by Nature works with thousands of small holders and larger producers across China, Africa and Latin America. Photo: Benjamin Holst / Copyright 2026 Preferred by Nature.