亿博体育

Hanover, Germany – Continental AG has extended a project to enhance sustainability in smallholder natural rubber (NR) cultivation in Indonesia.

Launched in collaboration with the German development agency (Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit - GIZ) in 2018, the project involves training NR farmers to implement sustainable practices and enhance rubber yield.

Carried out in the UNESCO-recognised the district of Kapuas Hulu, the project is now being extended by three years to the end of 2027, Continental said 15 April.

According to the German group, so far, around 5,000 local smallholders in West Kalimantan, Borneo, Indonesia, have been trained to cultivate high-quality NR in line with sustainability criteria.

By 2027, a further 1,000 smallholders are to be involved in the project.

Continental maintains that the project has helped increase smallholders’ income by an average of 27% since 2018.

Furthermore, the process is claimed to build capacity to improve sustainability and protect forests in the project region in Indonesia.

The initiative mainly addresses ‘lack of knowledge’ and ‘insufficient income’ for farmers, according to Continental.

The training teaches farmers sustainable cultivation methods and agricultural practices.

This, in turn, improves the quality of the rubber, increases yields, optimises the supply chain and increases the income of the rubber farmers.

The project also has introduced a digital traceability system to ensure transparency throughout the supply chain – from the rubber tree to its use in Continental's production.

The NR produced as part of the project is made available to other manufacturers in addition to Continental's tire plants, and the project is being opened up to additional participants.

“We have shown that we can make the natural rubber supply chain transparent and at the same time increase farmers’ incomes,” said Dr Michael Radke, head of sustainability in purchasing at Continental.

The project is in line with Continental’s target to achieve ‘fully sustainable supply chain by 2050’.

For natural rubber, the group’s ambition is to cover “the entire demand exclusively through responsible sourcing from 2030 onward.”