As part of its ongoing development, the Risk Information Alliance (RIA) has conducted a pilot country risk assessment focusing on the rubber production sector in Indonesia.

This pilot aims to test in practice the joint indicators, methodology, and processes that have been collaboratively developed by RIA over the past year. The assessment was led by Preferred by Nature, with the support of other RIA Members and sub-contracted national experts, ensuring strong technical grounding and local knowledge during implementation.

For each sustainability topic (land rights and third parties’ rights; management activities and environmental protection; ecosystem conversion, degradation and HCV protection; human rights; labour rights and economic and trade conditions), the assessment describes the country’s context by compiling, among others, relevant legislation, a description of the legal framework, and an overview of the situation on the ground, drawing on the knowledge of local actors.

Findings are substantiated with several written sources, such as reports, studies, and articles.

About the public consultation

Given that the majority of Indonesian rubber is produced by smallholders, stakeholder feedback is particularly important to ensure the assessment reflects on-the-ground realities and supports risk mitigation approaches that are practical and inclusive for small-scale producers.

A focused public consultation is therefore now being launched on the technical content of the assessment. The consultation period will remain open until 31 March 2026.

The objective of the consultation is to gather stakeholder input to confirm or challenge the assessment findings, identify gaps, and provide additional information that can help strengthen the risk assessment outcome.

Who can participate?

The consultation is open to a broad range of stakeholders, including:

  • Economic actors, such as rubber plantation owners or managers, land tenure or use-rights holders, representatives of workers or the industry, and participants in sustainability assurance or certification systems.
  • Social actors, including local and national NGOs, workers’ organisations and labour unions, and representatives of local communities or Indigenous and Traditional Peoples.
  • Environmental actors, such as environmental NGOs and associations, as well as local communities or Indigenous and Traditional Peoples’ representatives.
  • Other relevant stakeholders, including national bodies, RIA member organisations, certification bodies and assurance service providers, government and enforcement agencies, and research institutions.

Following the consultation period, the risk assessment will be made publicly available as an open resource, supporting risk-based approaches to sustainability, starting with RIA Members’ own assurance systems. It is also designed as a shared knowledge base for the rubber sector to support due diligence, smallholder engagement, landscape initiatives, and continuous improvement efforts aligned with global sustainability frameworks.

As this is a pilot phase, both the drafting and consultation process will also inform the further development of RIA, helping identify opportunities for process improvement and supporting the development of additional joint risk assessments under the RIA framework.

If you are interested in contributing input on the rubber Indonesia risk assessment content, please register here to receive the consultation package and participate in the process.

For more information and comment, please contact:

Nicolas Viart | SBP 
Cell: +44 7527 300 443 
Mail: nviart@sbp-cert.org

Chloé Viala | Preferred by Nature 
Cell: +33 633 34 17 25
Mail: cv@pbn.org