An ‘origin’ refers to a specific geographic location and cultural tradition where agricultural goods are grown and processed. Factors such as climate, altitude, soil composition, local farming and processing practices all contribute to the unique attributes and authenticity of products from a particular origin, including flavor profile, quality, reputation, and other ecological and cultural characteristics particular to that location.
We focus on the development of origins and markets for Keystone Crops – agricultural species that, due to their particular ecology, cultural significance, and economic value, have a disproportionately important role to play in the regeneration of landscapes and communities.
Wanakaset Regenerative Rubber Origin – Songkhla Lake Basin, Thailand
In development since 2020 this origin currently includes 1000 Wanakaset farmers across six cooperatives in Phatthalung, Songkhla and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces.
Wanakaset (วนเกษ), combining the Thai words “Wana” (forest) and “Kaset” (agriculture) refers to an integrated philosophy of farming, a network of practitioners, and a form of regenerative agroforestry indigenous to Thailand that emphasizes harmony between agricultural systems and natural forest ecosystems. ‘The Wanakaset Symbiosis Network’, is a confederation of community-based social enterprises dedicated to Wanakaset rubber farming which has emerged from this initiative, and the Regenerative Rubber Alliance is a multi-stakeholder collaborative which brings together farmers, buyers, processors, manufacturers, universities and service providers to collaborate towards systems change in the rubber industry.
This origin began as a partnership between 1000 Wanakaset farmers, Terra Genesis and VF Corp brands Timberland, Van’s and The North Face and has subsequently expanded to include a diversity of brands and other stakeholders. Our collective goal is to transition all 500,000 hectares of rubberlands within the Songkhla lake basin to regenerative agriculture – this represents approximately 1% of global rubber production.
Natural Rubber comes from the Pará Rubber Tree (Hevea brasiliensis) which originated in the Amazon Rainforest. Since the late 19th century rubber has been planted widely outside of its native range and now most of the world’s 13 million hectares of rubber production (34 million acres) and 15 million tonnes a year is grown in South East Asia, especially Thailand, Malaysia & Indonesia. The rubber market is projected to grow 6% per year to a value of $73B in 2029.
