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Arquímedes Ramírez: Combining coffee expertise and conservation in the Amazon
Arquímedes Ramírez, a Colombian coffee farmer, has witnessed firsthand the transformation of his region from deforestation to sustainable coffee production. Through Amazonia Connect, a partnership dedicated to promoting low-emission commodity production, Arquímedes has learned new farming techniques and gained access to higher-quality markets. As a community leader, he has inspired others to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to the preservation…
18 September 2024
A Bright Future for a Woman Farming Coffee in Tanzania
Dorothy Masaki is a 54 year-old wife and mother of six who began farming over 35 years ago on her father’s farm. After years of hard work Dorothy joined Solidaridad’s Practice for Change: Coffee Resilience Programme in East Africa, and the success of her coffee farm is leading to new opportunities for herself, her family and her friends.
07 September 2023
Taking over the family farm
When Jacob Overt took over the family farm, he didn't realize that sustainable production of oil palm could support his entire family. Training in climate-smart practices have helped him improve productivity, income and protect the local environment.
14 August 2023
Boosting Sustainable Shea with Radio in Ghana
Ramatu Muniru is a 41-year-old shea nut processor in northern Ghana. She relies on the production of shea nut butter to provide for her livelihood, but in the past, she would cut the shea trees on her husband’s farm for charcoal or firewood. That was until a new radio programme changed her perspective and helped her, and other women in…
21 December 2022
Meet Carmen: Guatemalan landscape heroine
Carmen Gómez from San Marcos, Guatemala, says the greatest achievement in her community, 31 de Julio, has been gathering women, youth, and men together to work in unity in order to protect the area’s mangrove ecosystem.
20 September 2022
Julia’s story
Over 5,100 metres above sea level, among strong winds and falling snow, we can find Julia Pomalique. She works in the mountains performing pallaqueo, an artisanal and ancestral way of mining, work now done mainly by women. Thanks to this activity, she and more than 250 women in her association can sustain themselves and their families. She’s a pallaquera and…
21 June 2022
Katete Soybean farmer proves that agriculture is more than just cows & ploughs
Smallholder farmers producing soybeans in Southern Africa were experiencing low productivity, lack of access to improved seeds and inoculants. As a result of solidaridad interventions which consist of access to certified seeds, inoculants and soil tests, the average productivity of soybeans in Zambia has been consistently increasing from 500kg per hectare in 2018 to 1120kg per hectare in 2021. The…
07 May 2022
Crowdfunding supports recovery and relief efforts in Honduras
In 2020, many Honduran families lost their homes, and entire communities were left isolated from others due to damaged road systems following Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Solidaridad partnered with palm oil companies and the Cocoa and Chocolate Women Network of Honduras to provide humanitarian assistance to more than 400 smallholder families affected by these hurricanes.
Helping hands for Guatemalan oil palm smallholders
In 2020, along with coping with the effects of a global pandemic, many Guatemalan families faced dire circumstances due to Hurricanes Eta and Iota. Find out what we did to help.
Promoting supportive business ecosystems in Central America
When value chain partners become financially viable and offer better services and products, they help create a strong and supportive business ecosystem for farmers and workers. A supportive business ecosystem helps producers to transition towards a more profitable business. Solidaridad works with service suppliers, input providers and off takers to improve their services and financial standing, so they are able…
Improving the performance of Central American producers
Good practices are a comprehensive set of actions and initiatives that will support producers in improving their social, environmental and economic performance. This means helping farmers and workers produce in balance with nature and optimize their farm management practices, so they can increase production and income. Moreover, it also means making sure the brands buying from farmers and hiring workers…
Helping forge an enabling policy environment in Central America
Once early innovators have demonstrated the benefits of sustainable practices, others are more likely to jump on board. For this reason, at Solidaridad, it’s important for us to find local actors who will partner with us to test solutions and new technologies. Then, together, we create the blueprints that others can use to implement sustainable solutions.
06 May 2022
Rewarding farmers for warding our forests
Doña Rosa has long known what climate change means for her farm, and she's intent on doing her part to combat it. Joining Solidaridad's 'Coffee of the Future' programme has given Doña Rosa crucial skills and tools for making sure her coffee remains good for her business and the environment
A bright future for Kenyan coffee
Gibson Kinyua and Faith Wambui are a husband and wife team with more than 20 years of experience farming coffee in Nyeri, Kenya. Joining Solidaridad's 'Food Security through Improved Resilience of Smallholder Coffee Farmers in Ethiopia and Kenya' (FOSEK) has transformed their farming operation.
‘Reaching the Unreached’: Beating The Water & Sanitation Crisis in Sri Lanka
For communities in and around the tea planation areas in Sri Lanka, water and sanitation remain significant challenges. Solidaridad stepped up to the challenge with the 'Reaching the Unreached" programme designed to rehabilitate and improve water and sanitation conditions in 50 estates and 100 villages.
Starting Anew with Regenerative Agriculture
Agriculture is at the centre of a number of global challenges today. Climate change, depleting water tables, degraded soils, loss of biodiversity along with a staggered social and economic development—to name a few. For cotton farmers in India, regenerative agriculture spells a new beginning.
The Future of High-Value Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
The importance of medicinal plants and derivatives is growing rapidly with human progress in pharmaceutical fields. These plants are a potential source of bio-molecules that play a major role in modern medicine in the treatment of diseases like cancer, diabetes and hypertension among others. The demand for medicinal herbs is increasing thanks in part to a reputation for fewer side…
Joao Evangalista
12 April 2022
At COP26, industry and government unite with Solidaridad and IDH on a way towards sustainable palm oil
As part of the Benelux pavilion at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, Solidaridad, IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative, and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs hosted a session on 2 November that set out one of the important solutions that can help protect forests and support smallholders while still developing […]
15 November 2021
Meet the Farmers Using a Mobile App to Monitor their Progress Towards Sustainability [Video]
The Farming Solution project leverages the digital revolution to empower farmers to become sustainable while contributing to their community.
13 September 2021
The journey towards good agricultural practices in high-value markets
Smallholder farmers are currently unable to participate in formal supply chains, as they do not comply with the lowest production and administrative requirements for food safety and quality (i.e. entry-level LocalG.A.P). Solidaridad is changing this through the Farmer2Market project, helping farmers like Nomxolisi Mathe access new opportunities.
28 April 2021
Sustainable livestock management improves livelihoods and landscapes in Zambia
Degraded landscapes and low livestock productivity have plagued the livestock sector in Zambia. The Nambola Livestock project is helping farmers restore productivity and landscapes through holistic management practices.
Business acumen improves sugarcane smallholder farmers’ productivity
Sugarcane is an important crop in Southern Africa, creating many jobs for growers and related services. However, inefficiencies create barriers for growth. Solidaridad's partnership with local mills and training providers is helping build a more efficient ecosystem for sugarcane production.
Integrating good practices in smallholder farm management
Smallholder farmers possess vast knowledge of traditional farming methods passed down from generations. However, they often lack the skills and knowledge of modern techniques that allow for intensification and increased productivity. Solidaridad is helping smallholder farmers adopt good agricultural practices through practical trianing.
Service delivery SMEs boost cocoa production in West Africa
Over the last five years, Solidaridad West Africa has supported the establishment of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to deliver services that address poor farm management, high costs of labour and inputs, as well as inadequate financial and agricultural extension services in cocoa production.
The story of Casilda: community empowerment and resilience in Chaco
Solidaridad brought together cooperatives, local government and communities to develop innovative solutions for climate adaptation. For dairy farmer, Casilda, this meant new opportunities.
“My name is Sinforosa; I am a woman and I am a miner”
There are different barriers for women to participate in the exploitation of the largest mineral reserves: from the preconception that women are not physically fit for mining to the superstition that letting women inside the mine brings bad luck. Through participation in the cooperative, Sinforosa is challenging the status quo.
Rejuvenating the Ganges
The “Pollution Prevention and Efficient Water Use in the Kanpur-Unnao Leather Cluster” is one of the pioneer projects for Solidaridad Asia, helping to restore the environment and livelihood around the Ganges river.
