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Building Fair & Inclusive Market Places

22 October 2025

The global marketplace does not adequately recognize and reward sustainable production systems and responsible business practices, and often overlooks marginalized groups, especially women and young people. Stable and equitable supply chains rely on market actors who are committed to ensuring fair payments to farmers, adequate financing for environmental stewardship, and equitable value distribution across the supply chain.

Bitter weinig campagne in Amsterdam

Our ambition: International and local market actors source an increasing value of sustainable and traceable products from small-scale farmers on fair terms that adequately reward and recognize farmers’ efforts.

Small-scale farmers should be able to participate in speciality markets, certification schemes, cooperative models, and value addition, such as local processing, to enhance their bargaining power and ensure a fairer share of value within supply chains. We will also work to ensure that women and young people enjoy equitable market access and opportunities. 

There are also emerging opportunities to develop net-zero supply chains by engaging with corporate and sector platforms. We will stimulate incentives to ensure that farmers benefit from payments for ecosystem services.

HOW WE MEASURE SUCCESS

148

Solidaridad partner companies directly reward farmers for sustainable production practices

549

Solidariad partner companies adopt and implement a sustainable sourcing policy with time-bound commitments and action plans

Learn more about how we measure

IMPACT IN PRACTICE

Teh n’Deso connects

Indonesia’s small-scale tea farmers face ongoing challenges due to climate change and competition. Fortunately, a recent initiative, Teh nDeso, is promoting sustainable practices and has helped small farmers to connect directly with consumers. The results have been impressive. With creative branding, QR codes with informative videos, and partnerships with local tea stalls and cafes, sales have risen from 5-10 tonnes to over 150 tonnes per year, and average incomes have increased by 15-25 percent.

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Procurement for prosperity

Our Palm Oil Barometer is a bi-annual publication on the state of sustainable palm oil. It promotes ‘Procurement for Prosperity’: a new approach to ensure that independent smallholders are able to farm sustainably, maintain livelihoods.

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Campaigning to #RethinkCoffee

A cup of coffee is more than a morning ritual – it transforms lives. Two recent coffee campaigns by Solidaridad Germany have drawn attention to this, advocating for a more sustainable coffee sector. These campaigns are supported by the German Postcode Lottery.

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OUR SOLUTIONS

Improved market access

We address structural weaknesses in the market system by connecting producers and buyers, and co-creating solutions for inclusive trade, improved sourcing and pricing, transparency and traceability and reward practices. 

Expand market access by connecting farmers to virtual and physical marketplaces, supporting them to meet market and trade requirements and regulations.

Organize small-scale farmers into producer groups for economies of scale and increased bargaining power.

Foster responsible procurement practices by partnering with buyers and traders to promote trade on mutually-beneficial terms with more equitable value distribution.

Engage with corporate and sector platforms to increase zero emission commitments and deliver on these by upscaling best practices and increasing transparency and accountability on progress.

Scale and promote payments for ecosystem services that incentivize and compensate farmers for their efforts in restoring and sustainably managing ecosystems. 

Deploy transparency and traceability initiatives that support the uptake of small-scale farmer produce.

Raise consumer awareness to increase demand for sustainably produced products.

Identify and encourage the development of local markets to diversify the client base for farmers and increase income potential.

LET’S WORK TOGETHER

Systemic change cannot be accomplished when actors work in isolation. It requires close collaboration with stakeholders at every level, including farmers, processors and companies, community leaders, civil society, and governments. Each and every actor has a role to play in creating more sustainable and equitable supply chains. 

We are collaborating with a large number of trusted public and private sector actors, as well as foundations and individuals, to achieve a mutual ambition for a better world. Do you want to become part of this ambition and contribute? Please reach out to a partnership officer in your region.