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Making a green rubber stamp: emerging dynamics of natural rubber eco-certification

ABSTRACT The recent expansion and intensification of natural rubber cultivation has been associated with widespread forest conversion, habitat and biodiversity loss, increased livelihood vulnerabilities and, in some cases, dispossession of land. While these issues have attracted considerable attention from scientific and academic communities, public awareness – particularly in terms of consumer demand for standards and certification – has been slow to develop in comparison to other agro-commodity crops. Drawing on the concepts of global value chain analysis, management swing potential and issue attention cycle, this article examines the relatively slow uptake of natural rubber eco-certification through a comparison of three case studies in Jambi (Indonesia), Xishuangbanna (China) and Kerala (India). This study finds that natural rubber certification has taken a path of least resistance, emerging in relatively short value chains characterized by high degrees of vertical integration where existing production practices require minimal adjustment to achieve certification. Although certification programmes often position themselves as transparent and accountable alternatives to government regulation, the success of these programmes is dependent on the continued presence of the state to establish the necessary institutional and social foundations for private regulation to operate successfully. Consumer pressure plays an important role in evoking sustainability initiatives and influencing standards, yet when disconnected from the specific issues associated with a particular commodity, public concerns may produce standards and forms of certification that need to be complemented by sub-national and national policy and programmes in providing solutions for ecosystem service and social problems. EDITED BY Meine van Noordwijk