TOKYO — With a goal of doubling natural rubber harvest volumes by 2035, Bridgestone Corp. is planning to invest $26.7 million in the coming five to six years in its natural rubber (NR) plantations in Southeast Asia.
Among the initiatives Bridgestone intends to undertake is the introduction of "elite trees" with stable harvest volume, which are selected by genome analysis technology.
The Japanese tire maker also plans to carry out "ongoing, systematic afforestation" across its plantations to ensure that they are "properly managed depending on tree age and afforestation cycle," along with employing artificial intelligence image analysis to diagnose and detect disease in Para rubber trees.
The initiatives are part of Bridgestone's long-term environmental vision, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality and 100% use of sustainable materials by 2050 and beyond.
Bridgestone owns two plantations in Indonesia, one in Sumatra that has been operational since 2005, covering an area of 44,200 acres and employing 4,200 workers, and a second plantation in Kalimantan covering 14,800 acres and employing 700 workers.
