Yokohama using geo-mapping tool to promote sustainable natural rubber procurement

Yokohama Tire recently introduced a geo-mapping risk assessment tool from sustainability solution provider RubberWay, in the aim of promoting sustainable natural rubber procurement.

Yokohama says it procures the natural rubber used in a wide variety of its products from a complex supply chain composed of many small-scale rubber plantations, intermediaries, and processing plants.

According to Yokohama, it therefore has become difficult for it to assess and monitor risks related to environmental issues in its supply chain, such as illegal deforestation or poor water resource management, and social issues like child labour and forced labour, as well as the impacts of these issues on local communities.

Given this, ensuring traceability is said by Yokohama to have become an issue for the company’s promotion of sustainable procurement.

The RubberWay Geo-Mapping is an application that allows users to assess and monitor famers’ geolocation data as well as environmental and social issues. Currently, over 30,000 farms have been registered in the system.

Yokohama claims the introduction of Geo-Mapping will allow it to improve the traceability of natural rubber in its supply chain and to accelerate disclosure based on the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) and compliance with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).

The EUDR, which will apply from 30th December 2024 onward, will obligate any operator that deals in natural rubber or other related products in the EU to perform due diligence to prove that the products do not originate from recently deforested land or have contributed to deforestation.