Using bioacoustic monitoring to assess effects of rubber agroforestry systems on wildlife in Thailand
We're excited to announce a new ecoacoustic monitoring project in partnership with Terra Genesis, the VF Foundation, Thaksin University, and the Wanakaset Symbiosis Network in southern Thailand. This project aims to document the benefits of regenerative rubber agroforestry on wildlife, compared to conventional farming methods.
Photo credit: VF Foundation
The Rubber Industry's Challenge
The global demand for natural rubber is rapidly increasing, driven in-part by the automotive and footwear industries. As a result, both large-scale plantations and smallholder farmers, who produce 90% of the world's natural rubber, are under pressure to expand production. However, conventional rubber farming (monocultures where areas are clear-cut and only planted with rows of rubber trees) leads to ecological degradation, biodiversity loss, and economic uncertainty. This highlights the need for a new paradigm for rubber production and land stewardship. Regenerative practices such as agroforestry, where rubber trees are planted among other native trees and plants (polycultures), can increase both ecosystem health and agricultural success.
A Call for Regenerative Solutions
This project aims to further quantify the ecological benefits of regenerative rubber farming practices compared to conventional monocultures. This project will use ecoacoustic technology to measure biodiversity on rubber farms, providing data-driven insights into the ecological benefits of regenerative farming practices. Our goals include:
Documenting biodiversity impacts of regenerative versus conventional rubber farming.
Increasing the value and recognition of regenerative rubber in the market.
Integrating farmer knowledge into scientific research, ensuring that local expertise guides best practices.
A Collaborative Approach to Sustainable Rubber Farming
Our approach involves deploying ecoacoustic devices across various rubber agroforestry systems in Thailand. A total of 80 acoustic devices will be rotated biweekly across numerous farms, capturing sound data that reflects the presence and diversity of wildlife as compared to nearby monoculture/conventional farms. Farmers will be trained in data collection and interpretation, as their knowledge is central to our research. Through workshops and ongoing collaboration, we will gather feedback from smallholder farmers to assess the direct impact of our efforts.
This project embraces “Wanakaset”, a local Thai philosophy of forest-agriculture that encourages sustainable land development and deepens farmers’ relationships with the land to support community-level self-reliance. Farmers following the Wanakaset philosophy are evolving their rubber gardens into more diverse agroforestry systems, strengthening both their relationship with the land and their knowledge of sustainable farming practices.
Elevating Regenerative Rubber for a Sustainable Future
This project will not only provide a platform for smallholder farmers to demonstrate their contributions to biodiversity but also increase the value of regeneratively produced rubber. Research findings will be published by Thaksin University, further validating our methods and outcomes. This project is more than just a local initiative; it connects smallholder farmers in Thailand to global brands like Timberland®, The North Face®, and Vans®. By increasing the demand, interest, and value of regenerative natural rubber, we aim to create a more sustainable and equitable rubber industry, benefiting both communities and ecosystems.
Stay tuned for more project updates in the coming months!
About Project Partners
WildMon
WildMon’s mission is to deliver globally accessible technology solutions to accelerate data-driven biodiversity & ecosystem conservation. We integrate camera-trapping, bioacoustics, eDNA & AI to comprehensively monitor biodiversity & inform conservation action on the front lines. By equipping local stakeholders with biodiversity monitoring tools, we aim to translate local-scale data into global change.
Terra Genesis
Terra Genesis is an international regenerative design and development firm that convenes brands, farmers, developers, communities, investors, and NGOs to work at the intersection of agriculture, ecology and economy. Founded in 2009 by a collective of ecosocial designers, our work is to transform the role of agriculture and business as drivers of social and ecological health. We work from the ground up to evolve stakeholder capacity and capability and to identify solutions, create processes and curate interventions for systemic regeneration.
Ethos™ Regenerative Outcome Verification (ROV)
Ethos™ ROV is an advanced framework for the digital verification of agricultural outcomes. This framework integrates technological solutions for data gathering and analysis, targeting a comprehensive evaluation of holistic ecological and socio-economic impacts derived from farming activities. It is distinguished from existing third-party certifications through the application of an adaptive, living-systems approach, emphasizing the importance of process validation alongside outcomes measurement and verification. Ethos™ uses mobile devices and platforms for data collection, ensuring the traceability and authenticity of agricultural practices, thus facilitating a transparent verification process.
The VF Foundation
Inspired by the vision of VF Corporation and its brands, The VF Foundation works to create positive societal impact and systems change to advance a more active, equitable, and sustainable world. Since its inception in 2002, The VF Foundation has granted more than $73 million globally to improve the communities where VF operates through its key strategic pillars: Thriving Outside, Protecting Our Planet, Powering Potential, and supporting Humanitarian Relief.
Wanakaset Symbiosis Network
The Wanakaset Symbiosis Network, in Thai “เครือข่ายวนเกษตรเกื้อกูล” developed out of a strong body of knowledge and practice of Wankaset forest gardening, known locally as “Suan Som Rom,” in farming communities of Southern Thailand. Working together to create new regenerative supply systems sourcing produce and products from these Wanakaset systems, brought together a number of farmer groups to work together sharing a common vision of restoring the health of the ecology, biodiversity, watersheds, culture, community, local economy, and community self-reliance through Wanakaset practices. After over 2 years of exchange and collaboration, this network of Wanakaset farmers was formally established with leadership and representation from the 5 active farmer groups/ communities in Phatthalung and Songkhla provinces in Feb 2024.
Thaksin University
Thaksin, meaning “of the South”, University has long been a well-respected institution of the history Srinakarinwiroj University network. Located in Songkhla and Phatthalung Provinces, Thaksin University spans major disciplines with an Internationally qualified faculty. It also maintains the Southern Thai Studies Centre and Museum complex on Koh Yor Island. Thaksin University signed an MOU to collaborate on supporting regenerative Wanakaset practices in Phatthalung province, later expanding scope to the Songkhla watershed, with Wanakaset Farmers, Terra Genesis International, and the Governor of Phatthalung in March 2022. Since then there has been continual collaboration with the farmers and Terra Genesis in research and knowledge development.
