YOKOHAMA announced today that, together with the Surat Thani branch of the Rubber Authority of Thailand (RAOT)*, it held a seminar event this June to help Thai natural rubber farmers improve the quality and productivity of their natural rubber. Fifty farmers from 50 farm households in the Surat Thani area participated in the event, which was conducted with appropriate measures to prevent against COVID-19 infections. All participants received a complimentary 250kg of fertilizer developed using RAOT’s specialist knowledge. The seminar is the third held by YOKOHAMA and RAOT since 2020.

* A state enterprise under the jurisdiction of Thailand's Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MOAC)

In January 2020, YOKOHAMA signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the RAOT to cooperate in efforts to provide economic support for Thai natural rubber farmers and to improve traceability to ensure transparency and soundness of the natural rubber supply chain. The MOU and events held under it are concrete actions based on YOKOHAMA’s "Procurement Policy for Sustainable Natural Rubber.” The farmers who received fertilizer at this event are cooperating in follow-up surveys on its effect on the physical properties and productivity of their natural rubber. Another action under the MOU is a program of onsite surveys began in 2019 that seeks to analyse the issues faced by natural rubber farmers in Surat Thani area, home to YOKOHAMA’s Thai natural rubber processing company Y.T. Rubber Co., Ltd.

A founding member of the Global Platform for Sustainable Natural Rubber (GPSNR), YOKOHAMA revised its “Procurement Policy for Sustainable Natural Rubber" in September 2021 and is strengthening its collaboration with GPSNR activities. The recent seminar event in Thailand reflects the principle of "Support for suppliers, including small-scale farmers, and other parties involved in the supply chain" set forth in the Procurement Policy. YOKOHAMA will continue to implement and announce initiatives in line with the action guidelines stipulated in this policy.

YOKOHAMA also is endeavouring to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations. As part of these efforts, the YOKOHAMA Rubber Group is promoting the procurement of sustainable raw materials. This May, YOKOHAMA held its third “Suppliers’ Day,” an online event promoting the exchange of information with natural rubber suppliers.

Meanwhile, other ongoing activities in Thailand by YOKOHAMA include joint research with local universities aimed at improving the quality and productivity of natural rubber and the promotion of more widespread use of agroforestry to enable natural rubber farmers to secure more stable income.

The ESG initiatives included in Yokohama Transformation 2023 (YX2023), YOKOHAMA’s medium-term management plan for fiscal years 2021-2023, are based on the concept of “Caring for the Future.” By implementing ESG initiatives under this concept, YOKOHAMA is endeavouring to help resolve social issues through its business activities.