Commercial forestation and yerba mate cultivation in the Atlantic Forest are being piloted among producer associations in Paraguay who mainly use soybean as the main crop. The tea business model proven successful in Argentina is now being replicated in yerba mate as well, as the crop management practices are similar.
Palm oil and cocoa in the Amazon biome are cash crops that support self-sufficient family economies. Agribusiness certification reaches out to marginal family farmers who are uncompetitive on their own, and provide the means and incentives for them to reach legal compliance and become more business oriented. It also provides a stable source of income and formal labour for landless workers.
Cost efficient solutions for extension services are in high demand. Solidaridad has been optimizing group data collection and analysis in the region for the past few years by means of its continual improvement system with soybean, livestock and citrus producer associations as well as with palm oil, cocoa, soybean and sugarcane agribusinesses.