Andes
Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru are well endowed with agricultural export products, energy resources, and minerals. Smallholder farmers and small scale miners as well as multinationals are active in this area.
Supporting sustainable production and trade
The Regional Expertise Centre (REC) Andes, based in Lima, Peru, was the first expertise centre of Solidaridad to be opened. It is currently in the process of becoming a representative office of the Fundación Solidaridad Latinoamericana.
Since 2004, REC Andes supports local endeavours to produce and trade in a sustainable and fair way. It focuses especially on smallholder farmers and small scale miners. It provides information and support for producers interested in certification schemes for their products such as Fair Trade, UTZ, Global Gap and organic. Certification increases the value of products, and provides producers with a stronger market position.
Cases
We offer
REC Andes works on sustainable supply chains in close collaboration with Solidaridad's worldwide network of expertise centres and local partners. Together we deliver the following services:
To producers
- Training farmers in farming techniques that have less negative impact on people and the environment and lead to better quality and higher yields.
- Supporting producer organizations through capacity building and organizational strengthening.
- Assisting producer organizations to get access to means of production, finance and markets.
- Supporting agricultural producer organizations and industrial producer companies to qualify for social and environmental certification standards.
Other
- Developing certification standards for sustainable production and fair trade (such as Fair Trade and UTZ CERTIFIED).
