ZSL #048 The rubber story and the road to sustainability

ZSL #048 The rubber story and the road to sustainability

From ZSL Wild Science Podcast by Zoological Society of London

August 22, 2025 · 1h 4m

About this episode

This episode discusses the challenges and sustainability of natural rubber production, featuring insights from farmers and industry leaders.

What do car tyres, yoga mats and trainers have in common? They all contain natural rubber, tapped from trees by millions of small farmers, mostly in Asia. While natural rubber production is renewable, its impact on the environment through deforestation, habitat loss and soil degradation, can be great when not managed sustainably. In this episode, we hear from a Thai rubber farmer, about the challenges faced on the ground, as well as one of the world's biggest tyre makers, Michelin, about rubber's colonial history, its tangled supply chains, and how they're working with farmers on sustainability. Finally, we explore how investors can use their influence to demand better practices and drive industry-wide change that benefits both people and nature. This episode is part of a series showcasing ZSL's Sustainable Business and Finance work. Overview 00:15 Harriet McAra, Host of Wild Science, and Rachel Poluan, ZSL SPOTT Team: Episode introduction 02:58 Introduction to the natural rubber sector and how rubber is produced 07:30 Edouard De Rostolan, Michelin: The historical legacy of rubber production and supply chains 12:54 Exploring ESG risks and opportunities 23:52 Khun Soontorn, a…

People in this episode

Host: Harriet McAra

Guests: Edouard De Rostolan, Khun Soontorn, Joe Horrocks Taylor

Topics covered

  • natural rubber production
  • sustainability
  • deforestation
  • supply chains
  • investor influence
  • agroforestry

Keywords

  • natural rubber
  • sustainability
  • deforestation
  • supply chains
  • investors
  • agroforestry
  • Michelin
  • ZSL

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Michelin, Columbia Threadneedle, ZSL

More episodes of ZSL Wild Science Podcast

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the ZSL Wild Science Podcast podcast page.