The CASCADE project:

November 20, 2023 - The CASCADE project, initiated in 2020 in the province of Jambi in Sumatra, Indonesia, with Porsche, aims to help strengthen the skills of smallholders for sustainable natural rubber.

Although many smallholder farmers depend on rubber farming for their income, they often face challenges with access to training, and suffer from poor yield as well as rubber pest and diseases. This can lead to adopting poor practices and limit their ability to farm sustainably.

Nearly three years after the program's launch, 1,000 smallholder rubber producers have been trained in best cultivation, environmental and social practices.

The aim of this training is holistic: Raising farmers' awareness of the need for responsible management of their plantations, implementing the best cultivation techniques to improve yields while preserving the environment, and training them to diversify their income. In concrete terms, it aims to improve smallholders and their families’ livelihoods.

In addition to this face-to-face training, the project leverages a digital application called SUTTI, enabling access to information, impact measurement and sharing of best practices with other rubber farmers.

Because smallholders are at the heart of the Group's natural rubber supply chain – smallholders account for 85% of the world's production - Michelin is pursuing its efforts with its partners to promote the development of a sustainable industry.