IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i15p11623-d1204310.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Social Sustainability of Raw Rubber Production: A Supply Chain Analysis under Sri Lankan Scenario

Author

Listed:
  • Pasan Dunuwila

    (Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4 Chome-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0041, Japan)

  • V. H. L. Rodrigo

    (International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF), D. P. Wijesinghe Mawatha, Pelawatta, Battaramulla 10120, Sri Lanka)

  • Ichiro Daigo

    (Research Center for Advanced Science and Technology, The University of Tokyo, 4 Chome-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 153-0041, Japan)

  • Naohiro Goto

    (Faculty of Information Networking for Innovation and Design (INIAD), Toyo University, 1-7-11 Akabanedai, Kita-ku, Tokyo 115-0053, Japan)

Abstract

Raw rubber production is the sole foundation for the rubber product industry, rendering raw rubber to manufacture essential commodities to mankind, such as tires, condoms, surgical gloves, and so forth. Raw rubber production involves various stakeholders; however, literature focusing on the social impacts of the supply chains of raw rubber production has hereto been absent. Social life cycle assessment, a popular tool to assess the social impacts of a product or process and was deployed herein to assess the social profiles of three Sri Lankan raw rubber supply chains (crepe rubber, concentrated latex, and ribbed smoked sheets) in a cradle-to-gate manner. The Social Hotspots Database v4 on Sima Pro v9.3 was used for the analysis. Results indicated that Governance, Labour rights & decent work had been affected due to Corruption and Freedom of association & collective bargaining issues, mainly in Belarus and China. Proposed improvement options to address these touchpoints were found to be effective. If the importation of K-fertilizer shifted into countries with lower risks, such as Canada, Israel, and Lithuania, overall social risks associated with Corruption and Freedom of association & collective bargaining could be reduced by ca. 36% and 25%, respectively. As a result, social risks in the impact described above categories, i.e., Governance and Labor rights & decent work, were reduced by ca. 35–41% and ca. 17–20%, respectively. Managers may pay thorough attention to the hotspots identified herein in the first place and try to avoid them as much as possible. They may consider importation from the aforesaid low-risk countries while weighing the trade-offs with economic and environmental aspects.

Suggested Citation

  • Pasan Dunuwila & V. H. L. Rodrigo & Ichiro Daigo & Naohiro Goto, 2023. "Social Sustainability of Raw Rubber Production: A Supply Chain Analysis under Sri Lankan Scenario," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-21, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:15:p:11623-:d:1204310
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/15/11623/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/15/11623/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Juan Aranda & David Zambrana-Vásquez & Felipe Del-Busto & Fernando Círez, 2021. "Social Impact Analysis of Products under a Holistic Approach: A Case Study in the Meat Product Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(21), pages 1-14, November.
    2. Shutaro Takeda & Alexander Ryota Keeley & Shigeki Sakurai & Shunsuke Managi & Catherine Benoît Norris, 2019. "Are Renewables as Friendly to Humans as to the Environment?: A Social Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Electricity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(5), pages 1-16, March.
    3. Louisa Pollok & Sebastian Spierling & Hans-Josef Endres & Ulrike Grote, 2021. "Social Life Cycle Assessments: A Review on Past Development, Advances and Methodological Challenges," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-29, September.
    4. Ioannis Arzoumanidis & Manuela D’Eusanio, 2023. "Tourism Sector: The Supply Chain Social Footprint of an Italian Accommodation Facility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-12, June.
    5. Catherine Benoit Norris & Gregory A. Norris & Lina Azuero & John Pflueger, 2019. "Creating Social Handprints: Method and Case Study in the Electronic Computer Manufacturing Industry," Resources, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-15, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mohamed M. Shamil & H. A. K. N. S. Surangi & M. A. D. H. Mallawarachchi, 2024. "Exploring values, orientation, and motives towards corporate social responsibility: SME owners’ and managers’ viewpoint in Sri Lanka," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Anni Orola & Anna Härri & Jarkko Levänen & Ville Uusitalo & Stig Irving Olsen, 2022. "Assessing WELBY Social Life Cycle Assessment Approach through Cobalt Mining Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-26, September.
    2. Assed Haddad & Ahmed Hammad & Danielle Castro & Diego Vasco & Carlos Alberto Pereira Soares, 2021. "Framework for Assessing Urban Energy Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-18, August.
    3. Georgios Archimidis Tsalidis, 2022. "Type I Social Life Cycle Assessments: Methodological Challenges in the Study of a Plant in the Context of Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-13, November.
    4. Adriana Rivera-Huerta & María de la Salud Rubio Lozano & Alejandro Padilla-Rivera & Leonor Patricia Güereca, 2019. "Social Sustainability Assessment in Livestock Production: A Social Life Cycle Assessment Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(16), pages 1-22, August.
    5. Nur Izzah Hamna A. Aziz & Marlia M. Hanafiah & Shabbir H. Gheewala & Haikal Ismail, 2020. "Bioenergy for a Cleaner Future: A Case Study of Sustainable Biogas Supply Chain in the Malaysian Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-24, April.
    6. Rebolledo-Leiva, Ricardo & Moreira, María Teresa & González-García, Sara, 2023. "Progress of social assessment in the framework of bioeconomy under a life cycle perspective," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 175(C).
    7. Prisca Ayassamy & Robert Pellerin, 2023. "Social Life-Cycle Assessment in the Construction Industry: A Review of Characteristics, Limitations, and Challenges of S-LCA through Case Studies," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(19), pages 1-19, October.
    8. Batara Surya & Seri Suriani & Firman Menne & Herminawaty Abubakar & Muhammad Idris & Emil Salim Rasyidi & Hasanuddin Remmang, 2021. "Community Empowerment and Utilization of Renewable Energy: Entrepreneurial Perspective for Community Resilience Based on Sustainable Management of Slum Settlements in Makassar City, Indonesia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-36, March.
    9. Georgios Archimidis Tsalidis, 2020. "Integrating Individual Behavior Dimension in Social Life Cycle Assessment in an Energy Transition Context," Energies, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-20, November.
    10. How, Bing Shen & Ngan, Sue Lin & Hong, Boon Hooi & Lam, Hon Loong & Ng, Wendy Pei Qin & Yusup, Suzana & Ghani, Wan Azlina Wan Abd Karim & Kansha, Yasuki & Chan, Yi Herng & Cheah, Kin Wai & Shahbaz, Mu, 2019. "An outlook of Malaysian biomass industry commercialisation: Perspectives and challenges," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 113(C), pages 1-1.
    11. Ioannis Arzoumanidis & Manuela D’Eusanio, 2023. "Tourism Sector: The Supply Chain Social Footprint of an Italian Accommodation Facility," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-12, June.
    12. Benedetto Rugani & Philippe Osset & Olivier Blanc & Enrico Benetto, 2023. "Environmental Footprint Neutrality Using Methods and Tools for Natural Capital Accounting in Life Cycle Assessment," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-30, June.
    13. Matevz Obrecht & Yigit Kazancoglu & Matjaz Denac, 2020. "Integrating Social Dimensions into Future Sustainable Energy Supply Networks," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(17), pages 1-18, August.
    14. Begum Erten & Zafer Utlu, 2020. "Photovoltaic system configurations: an occupational health and safety assessment," Greenhouse Gases: Science and Technology, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 10(4), pages 809-828, August.
    15. Mario Martín-Gamboa & Paula Quinteiro & Ana Cláudia Dias & Diego Iribarren, 2021. "Comparative Social Life Cycle Assessment of Two Biomass-to-Electricity Systems," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-15, May.
    16. Mihail Busu, 2019. "The Role of Renewables in a Low-Carbon Society: Evidence from a Multivariate Panel Data Analysis at the EU Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(19), pages 1-16, September.
    17. Bogdan Popa & Otilia Nedelcu & Florica Popa & Khalid Ahmad-Rashid & Eliza-Isabela Tică, 2021. "Small Hydropower Plant for Sustainable Electricity from RES Mix," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(22), pages 1-14, November.
    18. Elena Laborda & Felipe Del-Busto & Carmen Bartolomé & Víctor Fernández, 2023. "Analysing the Social Acceptance of Bio-Based Products Made from Recycled Absorbent Hygiene Products in Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-38, February.
    19. Solano-Olivares, K. & Santoyo, E. & Santoyo-Castelazo, E., 2024. "Integrated sustainability assessment framework for geothermal energy technologies: A literature review and a new proposal of sustainability indicators for Mexico," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:15:p:11623-:d:1204310. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.