HeveaConnect and SNV partner to develop agronomy training modules for natural rubber smallholders in Indonesia

SINGAPORE,April 8,2021 -- HeveaConnect (HC) has partnered with the SNV Netherlands Development Organization to develop HeveaGROW digital agronomy training modules for rubber smallholders in Indonesia. The objective of this initiative is to make agronomy training accessible to more rubber smallholders and help them improve the quantity and quality of their rubber yield. The digital modules will take the form of training videos and be deployed in the field.

HeveaGROW digital agronomy training modules is a 5-part video series which covers proper tapping techniques to rubber-based agroforestry.

The first pilot deployment will be SNV's SURPASS project which aims to scale up sustainable natural rubber practices in Musi Banyuasin District,South Sumatra. The SURPASS project,funded by IDH and Kirana Megatara,a leading rubber processor,has setup a rubber smallholder training centre to incentivise and train 5,000 rubber smallholders using SNV's existing Better Management Practice (BMP) rubber training materials. These materials,which have been incorporated into Kirana's direct-farmer-engagement programme,take the form of flipbooks and are used for hands-on training within a workshop setting. SNV will pilot the use of the HeveaGROW videos as training aids during the SURPASS project starting with a small sample of 200 rubber smallholders. We hope to achieve 2 key outcomes from this pilot:1) the ease of understanding of the training materials and 2) the proportion of farmers adopting these practices.

"Smallholders are a key part of the natural rubber industry and we need a scalable way to include them in the industry's sustainability transformation. We knew from the onset that we needed to establish partnerships to tackle these challenges and identified SNV as a strong partner because of their solid track record of field work and excellent industry knowledge. We look forward to expanding our collaboration to other areas." Gerald Tan,CEO of HeveaConnect.

Ismene Stalpers,Country Director for SNV Indonesia,added "SNV supports the sustainable,deforestation-free and resilient expansion of rubber production through educating rubber smallholders on good management and responsible practices. Through this partnership,we hope to leverage technology to amplify the reach and impact of our work,thereby improving the livelihoods of the thousands of families."

"IDH supports sustainability transformation by co-financing and implementing concrete action plans leading towards long term green growth. We hope that this prototype can be strengthened and expanded to give greater benefits for rubber smallholders and the environment in South Sumatra and other areas." As stated by Fitrian Ardiansyah,Executive Chairman of Yayasan IDH.

HC and SNV will promote the use of the videos through their respective outreach programs including integrating the videos into broader smallholder extension services programs.

About HeveaConnect

HeveaConnectbrings you the future of commodities trading. We are at the forefront of digitalising the natural rubber supply chain across the globe to create a data-enriched,technology-powered ecosystem. This digital transformation enables deeper analysis of the supply chain to uncover environmental,social and financial risks allowing targeted interventions.

At HeveaConnect,we use technology to enabledata transparencyand strengthen trust. We provide industry intelligence and insights to empower our customers to make smarter decisions. We strive to identify issues anddeliversolutions that willredefine how commodities are produced and traded.

For more information,please visit www.heveaconnect.com.

Media Contact:info@heveaconnect.com

About SNV,Netherlands Development Organisation

SNV is a not-for-profit international development organization and has a local presence in over 25 countries in Asia,Africa,and Latin America. SNV focuses on three sectors: Agriculture,Energy,and Water,Sanitation,and Hygiene (WASH). To address global trends and challenges in agriculture,SNV has four products of interventions: inclusive value chains,climate and business,sustainable nutrition for all,and opportunities for youth employment. SNV also continue to use and develop gender approaches using balancing benefits. In Indonesia,SNV has been working in some agricultural programs since 2013,such as sustainable natural rubber,palm oil,coffee,and dairy programs,among others.

About IDH,The Sustainable Trade Initiative

IDH,The Sustainable Trade Initiative,with headquarters in the Netherlands brings governments,companies,CSOs and financiers together in action driven coalitions to create solutions for global sustainability issues at scale. IDH applies innovative,business driven approaches to create new jobs,sustainable industries and new business models to have large scale positive impact on climate change,deforestation,gender,living wages and living incomes,which will help reaching the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. In 2019 IDH reached over 3.5 million smallholder farmers of tropical food and cash crops in multiple sectors to improve their livelihoods. IDH is supported and endorsed by multiple European governments,including institutional donors from The Netherlands,Switzerland,Denmark,Norway,UK and the US. In Indonesia,IDH work with Yayasan Inisiatif Dagang Hijau (YIDH) as an independent legal entity (The Foundation) that helps and partners with IDH in global level and other organizations to accelerate the development and implementation of business and investment models of sustainable commodities,sourcing areas and landscapes.