Highlights
Coffee
A pioneering carbon-backed scheme in Central America provided 1,882 farmers with access to finance to grow coffee through agroforestry models. Repayments are structured through the future sale of carbon units generated by new trees (see the innovation chapter for more information).
Cocoa
A mix of public and private credit for small-scale cocoa and livestock producers in the Brazilian Amazon unlocked €1.1 million to invest in productivity, compliance and sustainable practices. This milestone represents a critical step in reducing the financial barriers faced by small-scale farmers and reinforcing inclusive rural development in the region.
Livestock
A Center for Regenerative Livestock was launched in Morillo, in the Argentinian Chaco, providing services to restore the landscape and boost small-scale farmers’ productivity. Initial results from participating farms show a 100% increase in soil dry matter, with a capacity to capture up to 2.6 tCO2-eq per hectare per year (see good practices chapter for more information).
Palm Oil
The oil palm sector in Colombia launched its first Gender Equality Policy, developed by the National Federation of Oil Palm Growers (Fedepalma) in partnership with Solidaridad and GIZ. After the launch, eight leading palm clusters, representing 15% of the sector, participated in a baseline assessment to translate the policy into concrete actions that address structural gaps for women.
Mining
Two groundbreaking market-based services are improving working conditions in small-scale and artisanal mining (ASM) in Peru. One mechanism reduces default risk and ensures that miners can access formal credit under repayment terms. The second one provides tailored and affordable insurance products (see business ecosystems chapter for more information).
Soy
A study analyzed the shipment of 331,739 metric tonnes of deforestation-free soy from Argentina to Europe. The soy came from 10 pilots involving 1,500 plots and was traced using the VISEC platform, with rigorous Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) protocols. Together, these pilots prove that deforestation-free supply chains at scale are not a future ambition but an operational reality.
Sugarcane
To incentivize rural producers to hire responsible contractors, Solidaridad supported an initiative to encourage rural labor intermediaries to comply with national labor legislation. Thirteen companies have reached compliance so far, benefiting 664 workers (see innovation chapter for more information).
Fruits
An international coalition’s six-year initiative to improve working conditions in Brazil’s orange sector has successfully engaged 965 farmers and 3,519 workers. With tangible results: 65% of participating farmers reached higher sustainability benchmarks. This milestone underscores the power of industry-wide collaboration in transforming labor conditions and environmental stewardship at the source.
Tea Yerba Mate
2025 marked the fifth anniversary of the ‘Aliados pelo Campo’ project in Brazil. Over the past five years, the 92 yerba mate farmers participating in the initiative have seen yields surge by more than 40%. Average productivity rose from 6.33 to 9 tons per hectare, resulting in a total output of 6,300 tons across 700 hectares. These milestones demonstrate the transformative power of sustainable intensification and best agricultural practices.
Results
4,757
workers and miners have improved working conditions
871,317
hectares were brought under sustainable management
93,787
farmers and miners obtained access to new or improved services
From Strategy to Delivery
Across our intervention areas, we delivered tangible results: increased farmer incomes, mitigated investment risks in small-scale mining and verifiable carbon removal in agroforestry systems. These models demonstrate how to effectively future-proof supply chains across Latin America. By integrating social and environmental integrity with commercial success, we offer partners proven pathways to transform their markets.
Regenerative livestock production transforms the landscape in Gran Chaco
A milestone achievement this year was demonstrating the viability of regenerative livestock management in the Chaco biome. Our models delivered both environmental and economic returns in a landscape characterized by extensive soil exposure, critically low organic carbon levels and severe seasonal water scarcity. This success proves that even in degraded environments, regenerative practices can restore land health while maintaining commercial profitability.
In 2025, 289 farmers received support under this model, resulting in more than 137,000 hectares at different levels of regeneration. Samples showed a 100% increase in soil dry matter, which can deliver an additional 300 kg of forage per hectare and capture a total of 2.6 tCO2e per hectare per year. These changes, coupled with reduced use of agrochemicals, have also benefited biodiversity. For example, dung beetles have returned to the intervention area, accelerating manure decomposition and reducing disease incidence in cattle. Also, 11 native mammal species and 79 bird species were spotted in the pilot areas, including the threatened giant anteater and the Chacoan peccary.
By optimizing grazing areas and ensuring year-round access to water, we significantly reduced the energy cattle expend searching for resources. This led to a 18% increase in pregnancy rates and a 30% improvement in weaning rates. Beyond animal health, we are transforming market access: while 64% of local producers currently rely on informal markets, our pilot for formal registration enabled a first cohort to achieve prices three times higher than informal channels. This formalization also unlocks essential health coverage and financial support eligibility.
Viable services for decent work in artisanal & small-scale mining
Artisanal & Small-scale Mining (ASM) in formal supply chains is both structurally transformative and commercially viable. Although ASM accounts for nearly 45% of Peru’s total gold production, the vast majority of its workforce operates in legal limbo and is viewed as high-risk by financial markets. To resolve frequent conflicts between formal and informal miners operating within the same ore deposits, Minera Orex and Solidaridad developed an efficient coexistence model based on collaboration and mutual benefit. As an anchor company, Minera Orex facilitates the formalization of ASM miners within its concessions; in turn, these miners sell their raw material to the company, now accounting for 20% of its total processed ore. In 2025, both partners launched specialized support services focusing on safety and financial access, ultimately fostering greater stability and territorial governance.
The first service is a tailored insurance product for miners, launched in partnership with the broker MN & Asociados. Given the complexity of rescue operations and the significant financial impact of accidents, this insurance provides a vital safety net. To facilitate this, Minera Orex strengthened its security protocols and reputation through a dedicated safety campaign; this reduced risk profiles and kept premiums affordable at 15 US dollars per month. Additionally, the anchor company streamlines the process by deducting premium payments directly from ore sales. The product has achieved 100% coverage across the concession, securing over 600 workers across 70 artisanal mines.
The second service is a structured de-risking mechanism designed to grant ASM operations access to formal credit, an essential step for operational stability and productivity growth. Because ASM miners are often informal, lack credit histories and have irregular cash flows, they typically rely on informal lenders who charge exorbitant interest rates, stifling reinvestment and perpetuating informality. To overcome these barriers, Minera Orex acts as a bridge between miners and financial institutions by sharing verified production data and deducting loan installments directly from ore payments. This mechanism substantially reduces default risks and transaction costs for lenders while ensuring predictable repayment terms for miners. To date, the program has successfully disbursed over 200,000 US dollars to 17 ASM operations, enabling machinery investments that have doubled production capacity. Building on this success, the program has expanded credit lines to 150,000 US dollars to support ongoing mechanization, productivity gains and formal market integration.
This emerging business ecosystem, where services are financially viable and institutions view artisanal mining as profitable, is already attracting interest from other processing plants and financial institutions eager to replicate the model in new areas.
EUDR as Catalyst for Sector Collaboration
In 2025, the European Union Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) served as a catalyst for sector collaboration across Latin America. Beyond ensuring market compliance, cohesive national responses addressed broader systemic challenges, based on three pillars: inclusive dialogues, practical tools and verifiable field evidence.
The first pillar stemmed from high-level sector dialogues, which involved actors that account for 70-90% of the national market share. In Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, the palm oil, coffee and soy sectors leveraged existing multi-stakeholder platforms. In Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay and Argentina, Solidaridad partnered with influential industry bodies, such as the Council of Coffee Exporters (Cecafé), livestock guilds and soy guilds, to host the dialogues. The case of Honduras is particularly relevant because Solidaridad took on the task of revitalizing the national Zero Deforestation Platform, an inter-institutional roundtable that had lost momentum. This space was successfully reactivated to build consensus on EUDR Guiding Principles and to facilitate discussion with the small-scale oil palm farmers’ federation, FENAPALMAH.
The second pillar focused on delivering scalable tools that maximize collective effort, ranging from operational EUDR checklists to specialized sectoral analyses. Key examples of this include Central America and Mexico’s analysis for decision makers on impacts on coffee, Argentina’s FAQ and Colombia’s implementation guide for coffee companies. Solidaridad also contributed to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) by developing platforms like AgroDiligence (Colombia), Geo Cultivate (Peru) and the Pre-check Protocol in Honduras, so that sectors could move beyond basic deforestation tracking. These tools can identify “false positives”, such as mistaking agroforestry tree coverage for forests in small-scale farms. This is very relevant because it can lead to the interpretation that coffee and cocoa have been grown on deforested land after 2020, excluding small-scale farmers from European markets.
The third pillar consists of providing field evidence and practical support to farmers to demonstrate EUDR compliance. In 2025, face-to-face workshops and digital learning solutions like the Carbon Academy, Agrolearning and Cultivate translated complex regulations into accessible learning for hundreds of farmers. Also, in Argentina, using the VISEC platform, Solidaridad systematized the lessons learned from 10 pilot shipments totalling 331,739 metric tonnes of verified deforestation-free soy. These pilots involved approximately 1,500 farms and rigorously tested Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) protocols. Together, these pilots prove that deforestation-free supply chains at scale are not a future ambition but an operational reality.Please check our EUDR landing page for a complete list of regional storage resources.
Cattle directly traceable from the Brazilian Amazon to slaughterhouses
Our Amazon program in Brazil, which combines an integrated system of livestock, cocoa and forest, remains a flagship of our 2021–2025 strategy. Following a successful pilot involving 230 smallholders in a single municipality, the initiative has scaled to over 1,700 participants across six municipalities. This expansion covers 70,000 hectares in the State of Pará, an area nearly twice the size of Western Europe. In terms of environmental impact, the program facilitated the avoidance of 839 hectares of deforestation and the conservation of 18,800 hectares of primary forest. These efforts resulted in a 44% reduction in localized deforestation rates and a 35% decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. These ecological gains have directly catalyzed market uptake across two primary fronts.
On the cocoa front, agricultural practices improved bean quality, opening access to premium bean-to-bar chocolate markets and positioning the origin. Beans from Tuerê have now secured almost 40 national and international awards, including a silver medal at the Salon du Chocolat in Paris. We also facilitated sales logistics by establishing cooperative hubs to aggregate volume and bargain collectively, reducing the role of middlemen in securing more formal transactions for remote producers.
On the livestock front, the program successfully supported the establishment of a direct cattle sales arrangement with JBS, the world’s largest meat processor, to strengthen market integration. By reducing reliance on intermediaries, producers gained access to more transparent and competitive market conditions, with a significant positive impact on their incomes. By the end of the year, 11 cattle ranchers had sold animals through this mechanism, generating more than 1.8 million Brazilian reals (approximately 343,000 US dollars) in revenues. Compared to prices offered by intermediaries, producers achieved an average income increase of around 6%, while also strengthening planning, compliance and commercialization capacities.
These improvements have translated into strong prosperity outcomes, most notably a 108% increase in average gross household income across combined cocoa and livestock production.
Change that Matters Stories
Maria Gorete Rios is transforming cattle ranching in the Brazilian Amazon. By adopting the new Pará state bovine traceability system, she is inspiring other producers in Novo Repartimento to invest in more transparent, sustainable and profitable livestock farming– without intermediaries.
María Isabel turned a childhood legacy into a mission. When climate change threatened her cocoa farm, the Asómbrate programme offered the solution: agroforestry. Her success in achieving climate resilience and long-term productivity shows how empowerment, tradition, and sustainability can power rural development..
For exporters working with coffee and palm oil suppliers in Honduras, the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) presents an immediate challenge. Starting in 2025, access to the European market will require documented proof that these products meet stringent criteria. Solidaridad’s pre-check protocol designed specifically for Honduran needs and regulations offers a solution.
SUSTAINABILITY SOLUTIONS
Rewards to drive behavioural change
In 2024, the Latin American Digital Unit launched Solis, a mobile application designed to enhance the interaction between field officers and small-scale farmers, fostering knowledge-sharing on locally relevant agricultural practices. Solis mirrors the structure of social media platforms to create a dynamic, two-way communication channel between field staff and farmers, making technical knowledge more accessible and engaging. Solis includes action plans for producers and facilitates peer-to-peer engagement, where farmers share experiences and best practices, reinforcing trust and collective learning within agricultural communities.
In alliance with the Rabobank Foundation, we are pioneering a financial innovation in Central America to overcome the upfront costs of transitioning to Agroforestry. The facility provides “technology packages” through a carbon finance contract. The package includes essential inputs and trees that serve as collateral: costs are systematically repaid through the future sale of Carbon Removal Units (CRUs) generated by newly planted trees.
The initiative distributed agroforestry input packages to 1,882 coffee producers who manage 4,890 hectares, financing 412,669 plants alongside agricultural inputs. Because repayment relies on future carbon capture, plant mortality represents a substantial financial risk. To mitigate this, the financial product was supported by comprehensive technical assistance. The initiative achieved a 93% plant survival rate, a success metric, compared to other regional reforestation programs that frequently experience tree mortality rates exceeding 50%.
The Decent Work Initiative in Brazil mitigates human rights and compliance risks in sugarcane supply chains by supporting rural labor intermediaries in adhering to national labor legislation. The programme provides training, while the Extension Solution tool assesses and monitors service providers’ continual improvement, delivering data-driven risk management and real-time oversight to achieve formal recognition. This incentivizes rural producers to hire responsible contractors.
In terms of measurable impact, the initiative evaluated 39 companies during the 2023/24 crop year; 11 achieved full compliance with Brazilian labor legislation, benefiting 682 workers. During the subsequent 2024/25 crop year, 13 companies reached the standard, benefiting 664 workers. These year-on-year outcomes demonstrate the scale of engagement and the growing market for compliant, high-performing labor service providers.
To scale the adoption of sustainability practices, Solidaridad strengthened its digital learning ecosystem as a core enabler of impact. Through Agrolearning, implemented in countries such as Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay and Bolivia, Solidaridad delivers structured training to producers and field staff. In parallel, the Carbon Farming Academy is active in Colombia, Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, reaching thousands of users with practical knowledge on carbon markets and climate resilient agriculture. By leveraging accessible channels such as mobile-based learning and WhatsApp, these solutions expand reach and enable large-scale adoption of sustainable practices. Also, tools providing geospatial analysis and sustainability data can be integrated into these platforms to support decision-making
Organization and Governance
Building a Unified and Resilient Organization
In 2025, we fortified internal systems, strengthening institutional integrity and psychological safety. Despite the unforeseen conclusion of USAID funding, we demonstrated financial resilience, securing €9.7M in independent contracts. We also amplified communications to scale our proven solutions, from our strategic participation in COP30 in Brazil to winning an award for the documentary “Entre Polvo y Sueños,” which chronicles the reality of female miners in Peru.
Any organizational developments you would like to highlight? (e.g. mergers, change of leadership, new countries, exits etc.)
Latin America now operates as a unified region under a single joint strategy. In 2025, the following structural and leadership changes took place:
- Mexico: Transitioned from being part of the Central American cluster to an independent office. Solidaridad Managing Director for Latin America currently serves as the Interim Country Manager.
- Southern Cone: The cluster office, comprising Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay, appointed a new Country Manager in August 2025.
During the reporting period, Solidaridad in Latin America made progress across several priority Human Resources areas. A key achievement was strengthening the integrity system through the implementation of an Action Plan, aligned with global standards. By embedding psychological safety as a strategic pillar, the organization reinforces a culture of trust, transparency and inclusion, enabling stronger collaboration and sustainable performance.
Work on reliable data and the effective use of global tools, including the Global Staff Survey, enabled the region to better identify trends, risks and opportunities for improvement, supporting data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement in the employee experience.
| Staff in Latin America | Female | Male | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina | 10 | 3 | 13 |
| Bolivia | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Brazil | 38 | 45 | 83 |
| Colombia | 115 | 127 | 242 |
| Guatemala | 5 | 0 | 5 |
| Honduras | 8 | 15 | 23 |
| Mexico | 9 | 12 | 21 |
| Nicaragua | 5 | 15 | 20 |
| Panama | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Paraguay | 5 | 2 | 7 |
| Peru | 46 | 49 | 95 |
| Total staff count | 244 | 270 | 514 |
During 2025, our regional communication focused on disseminating proven solutions, roadmaps and data addressing current sector challenges. EUDR compliance was one of the key features in our communication. We systematized FAQs, guides and news on traceability systems and CSDDD advancements in coffee, palm oil, cocoa, soy and livestock in a repository landing page to facilitate consultation. Likewise, we created a social inclusion landing page for organizations seeking to pursue or advance their gender and young people’s inclusion goals within supply chains or sectors. It contains sector and supply chain gap analyses, a case study on the impact of social inclusion on family income, tools, methodologies and examples of interventions on farm level, supply chain level and on national or sector policies. The landing was launched with a social media action for International Women’s Day. Finally, for International Coffee Day, we launched three roadmaps for coffee organizations in response to three of their main interests: EUDR compliance, SCOPE 3 goals (decarbonization) and regenerative practices.
One of the highlights in 2025 was the work led by our Brazilian team to raise awareness around COP30, the first COP held in the Amazon. Between May and November, a campaign highlighted the importance of the event, Brazil’s role, and the opportunities and challenges it raised. Through participation in more than 20 panels and events, the Brazilian team had the opportunity to showcase to the international community some of the solutions and lessons compiled in “The Fruits of a Decade: Solidaridad, 10 Years in the Amazon”. This publication celebrates a decade of continuous work to build climate-smart agriculture along the Transamazonian Highway in Para, highlighting the role of family farming in low-carbon production and forest restoration. Another relevant participation was at the RSPO event in Kuala Lumpur, where Pedro Seijas, a small-scale palm oil farmer and technician lead from APROMAN, a partner producer association in Peru (1st one to get the RSPO ISH certification in this country past 2023), called for a shift from implementing sustainability to enabling living from sustainability by listing several concrete actions that companies can undertake to strengthen their supply chains.
Also, two high-impact audiovisuals were launched. The first was the Peruvian documentary film “Entre Polvo y Sueños” (Dust and Dreams), which highlights the precarious and unequal conditions faced by women miners and their journey to recognize their rights and build a safer, more inclusive and more equitable ASM sector. The film was featured at the 14th Annual Workers Unite Film Festival and won the Outstanding Excellence award at the DocuVision International Film Festival (winter 2026). The second one was the music album “Así suena la palma” which was launched at the XXI International Oil Palm Conference in Cartagena, an event that brought together more than 2,000 attendees. The songs feature small-scale oil palm farmers singing about the crop’s impact on improving rural livelihoods. According to data from Fedepalma, 74% of the 8,064 total oil palm producers in Colombia are small-scale, reinforcing their role as a major driving force for the sustainable transformation of the supply chain.
Finally, a multichannel campaign was developed to strengthen feedback from producers in a qualitative impact assessment of the Colombian oil palm supply chain. Notably, the study’s online launch event became the most-watched Solidaridad LATAM video to date, with more than 98,000 views on YouTube. Simultaneously, participatory events were held to foster dialogue among producers regarding the study’s key findings. This approach successfully expanded the reach of findings while reinforcing transparency, learning and producer ownership of data.
During the reporting period, Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (PMEL) activities were structured around four core objectives: high-quality data and insights, internal learning, improved processes and improved systems. On the learning front, we launched the publication Technical Assistance as a Key Strategy to Support Small-Scale Farmers Globally. This analysis provides insights into the different technical assistance models used in the region in different contexts.
Technical Assistance is a fundamental tactic to support small-scale farmers in improving crop management, animal husbandry, economic performance and market access. By filling in the gaps where government or private support is insufficient, Solidaridad helps farmers build resilient, sustainable operations
Solidaridad employs four primary intervention strategies, often in combination:
- Direct Engagement: agronomic direct support to farmers, especially where service providers are lacking.
- Strengthening Collective Organizations: Improving the governance and capacity of cooperatives and associations’ technical staff.
- Private Sector Collaboration: Partnering with agribusinesses to integrate sustainable practices into their supply chains.
- Strengthening Government Extension: Building or strengthening capacity in public teams to provide sustainability services beyond project lifespans.
Complementary approaches include demonstration plots, lead farmer programmes, digital learning platforms (e.g., Agrolearning) and performance incentives.
These strategies have led to measurable improvements in productivity and community well-being. In Colombia, for example, technical assistance supported an increase in palm oil yields of up to 20% between 2019 and 2023. It also facilitated the export of certified palm oil to Europe, raising the volumes of RSPO palm from 5% in 2014 to 29% in 2022. Finally, it helped formalize 805 palm oil workers, who gained access to social benefits and improved their working conditions.
Finance
Despite the significant challenges faced in 2025, our organization demonstrated resilience and adaptability. At the beginning of the year, the unexpected termination of USAID funding, which accounted for approximately 8% of our total budget, affected our operations. Unfortunately, this situation led to the cancellation of eight projects across three countries and the termination of some employment contracts. Throughout the year, we worked intensively to secure new funding opportunities to help offset the loss of these resources, and we were able to re-allocate the majority of the employees.
| Income | |
|---|---|
| Income from individuals | € 0 |
| Income from companies | € 5,219,735 |
| Income from lottery organizations | € 0 |
| Income from government grants | € 2,366,549 |
| Income from non-profit organizations | € 849,741 |
| Income from other organizations | € 215,420 |
| Other income | € 169,117 |
| Total direct income | € 8,416,026 |
| Income from related (Solidaridad) organizations | € 9,031,592 |
| TOTAL INCOME | € 17,236,588 |
Based on preliminary 2025 figures, our Latin American operations generated €17.6 million in turnover. Of this total, €9.7 million was contracted directly within the region, surpassing forecasts by 23%, despite an 8% decrease compared to 2024’s own-source funding. Corporate partnerships emerged as our primary revenue driver in the continent, accounting for 42% of own-source income. The remaining portfolio was balanced across non-profit organizations (20%), government entities (19%) and multilateral institutions (19%).
| Expenses | |
|---|---|
| Activity costs | € 2,791,485 |
| Other costs | € 2,585,915 |
| Partners and consultants | € 3,749,878 |
| Employee expenses | € 7,880,675 |
| Balance to be paid | |
| Total direct expenses | € 17,007,953 |
| Expenditure to Solidaridad entities | € 419,200 |
| Total expenditures | € 17,427,153 |
Operational expenditure remained closely aligned with budgetary targets. Staff costs accounted for 47% of total costs (compared to 46% budgeted and 44% in 2024), reflecting a strategic investment in internal expertise. Conversely, reliance on partners and consultants decreased to 22% (down from 31% in 2024), while direct activity costs accounted for 31%, demonstrating a consistent commitment to project implementation.
All financial data are based on pre-audited figures.
Final audited statements will be shared here as soon as they are available