13 Aug 2019
Bogor, Indonesia — The International Rubber Study Group (IRSG) has agreed to work with an Indonesian agricultural research body on natural rubber sustainability efforts, with an aim of creating joint proposals for resource mobilisation.
The IRSG and Bogor-based Forests, Trees and Agroforestry (FTA) — the research arm of CGIAR — signed a letter of intent recently to explore working together in order to leverage their respective strengths.
The cooperative pact also will include the efforts of the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR), a non-profit, scientific institution that conducts research on challenges of forest and landscape management around the world.
"The rubber sector is at a turning point, and is now quite conscious of the need to embrace a more sustainable future." Vincent Gitz, director of CIFOR and FTA said.
"A programme like FTA can support the sector and its stakeholders with evidence-based solutions toward sustainability. We're glad to cooperate with IRSG for this."
FTA's programme is the largest research for a development programme dedicated to embracing the role of forests, trees and agroforestry in improving production systems.
Through education, it looks to address some of the biggest sustainability issues of the moment, such as food security and living wages for people around the world, while "providing concrete responses to climate change."
IRSG secretary general Salvatore Pinizzotto noted the importance of collaboration in helping to propel the natural rubber industry into a more sustainable future.
The collaboration, he said, will further advance IRSG's sustainability agenda which was unveiled by the organisation in March 2019.
CGIAR is the adopted name for the FTA's umbrella organisaton; it originally stood for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research.
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