Solidaridad South America delivers innovative solutions to increase production in an efficient and resilient way that fosters inclusive economic development and protects conservation areas.
South America
Region South America
Solidaridad South America operates in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Low population density and abundance of crop land, freshwater, minerals and fisheries allow South America to provide for its own population and export substantial surpluses to feed another billion.
Developments
Increasing demand from Asia has fuelled a growth in export volumes that is partially compensating for the drop in key commodities. China is emerging as a leading trading and investment partner in the region which strengthens the need for international sustainable supply chains initiatives.
Big data and analytics are playing an increasing role in farm and industry management and the corporate sector. Large traders and multinationals continue to take decisive steps towards sourcing sustainable products. This trend reinforces opportunities to integrate smallholders into sustainable supply chains through innovative solutions like digital technologies and climate-smart agriculture (CSA) models.
All of the South American countries in which Solidaridad works have signed the Paris Climate Agreement, with the exception of Ecuador. This provides a favourable framework to work on climate change issues in the region, especially against the risk of a deforestation re-bound in the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon.
Challenges
Solidaridad is committed to addressing major weaknesses in the value chains currently preventing the region and its producers from reaching their full potential in terms of efficiency, competitiveness, inclusiveness and climate mitigation. Addressing these issues will contribute to more sustainable and inclusive production and markets.
Increased efficiency in natural resources management and value chain competitiveness in existing agricultural land is critically important. Solidaridad needs to assist farmers in enhance productivity with better climate resilience to reduce agricultural losses and the agricultural environmental footprint. In order to do that, there needs to be decent work places and livelihoods for landless and vulnerable groups to reduce the outflow of rural workers.
Finally, production in compliance with environmental and labour regulatory frameworks can be stepping stone towards sustainability.
Achievements
Solidaridad has helped to ensure an increase of soy produced under responsible standards in Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. As a result, 2.7 million tonnes of RTRS certified soy reached the markets and leveraged about 5 million US dollars in RTRS premiums.
The Sustainable Trade Platform (STP) worked on common sustainability challenges in Colombia’s palm oil, banana, coffee and flowers.Today, the STP reaches almost 300,000 producers and workers and covers 439,650 hectares. It also has 22 public and private alliances across all sectors. In 2016, the STP added sugarcane as a new commodity for the platform.
Solidaridad has established a proven extension model for climate resilient highlands coffee production. In Colombia, this resulted in tonnes of captured CO2 captured, renewed in agroforestry systems and interventions in cultivated hectares.
In addition, a proven business model for tea small farmers associations benefited almost 2,000 family farmers and workers and resulted in tea certified under UTZ and Rain Forest Alliance standards.
Programmes Regional commodities
Solidaridad focuses its efforts in eight countries, the most relevant biomes and 11 products for the development of sustainable and inclusive supply chains and landscapes in South America.
- Cotton, Fruit & Vegetables, Coffee
Climate-Smart Agriculture
One of the key challenges affecting the highlands coffee sector in the Pacific region is climate change. Solidaridad's climate-smart agriculture (CSA) model, in a context of sustainable landscape management, aims to have a positive impact on productivity, quality and even in halting the proliferation of diseases.
- Sugarcane, Fruit & Vegetables, Palm oil
Sector integration
Private organizations understand that having sustainability credentials will enable them to remain in the market and, due to this acknowledgement, they have become the perfect channel to influence producers who now apply good agricultural practices.
- Gold
Small Artisanal Miners
Solidaridad's work in Peru has demonstrated that it is feasible for small-scale mining to be certified and to produce responsibly, giving small miners access to a sustainable jewel trade.
- Tea, Cocoa
Inclusive and more diverse
In order for small producers to remain competitive, finding profitable leads for income diversification is key. This can be achieved through the vertical integration of suppliers in bigger agribusinesses or through producer associations.
- Livestock, Soy
Land use and regeneration
Considering that soy and livestock are the main deforestation drivers in the region, intensification models and land use planning have been one of Solidaridad's main lines of intervention to build risk-free supply chains in the Brazilian Amazon and Cerrado biomes, Argentinian Chaco and Paraguayan Atlantic Forest agricultural frontiers.
Partners Supporting worker safety
Solidaridad's partnerships with large brands, local businesses, communities, civil society and government are helping farmers and miners to adopt low-risk, legally compliant working methods.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Netherlands
C&A Foundation
Orplana
Good Energies
Raiz S&D
COFCO
Global Coffee Platform
Cámara Peruana del Café y Cacao
Moore Foundation
Raizen
Track record South America through the years
Various triggers encourage farmers to improve their practice: scarcity of labour, a growing preference by buyers for risk-free, certified and legally compliant suppliers, stronger forestry regulation, and the need to create sustainable landscapes. Each year, Solidaridad is tackling these issues and making agriculture sustainable through legal compliance.
At Solidaridad South America, the model for continual improvement to scale sustainable production has grown beyond its piloting phase. The private sector is now responding by replicating and scaling this model up. Solidaridad is making advancements in establishing more overarching interventions to integrate these in farm solutions with landscape approaches. In addition, Solidaridad is fostering an enabling policy environment to improve native forest conservation and smallholder resilience to climate change.
2016
The Sustainable Trade Platform in Colombia concluded its first phase, proving that commercial competitors can successfully collaborate on common sustainability challenges. An external evaluation assessed this multi-stakeholder platform as neutral, safe and relevant. The platform helped to articulate standards, develop climate change adaptation solutions and support producers in making important value chains more inclusive and sustainable.
2015
The Natural Beef Standards was launched in Paraguay with active support from Solidaridad for the ARP, the main producer association in the country. Cattle ranchers who raise cattle with natural grasses, free of hormones and antibiotics as well as within protected forest corridors, have now organized codes of conduct and guides adapted to the local situation and regulations in Paraguay. Producers used Solidaridad’s continual improvement tool to self-assess their practices and plan improvements.
2014
By engaging with leading companies in the region, Solidaridad and the Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) increased the supply of soy produced in 2014 under several systems of sustainable management by 1.6 million metric tons, covering a total of 845,262 hectares. This confirms that a change of mindset in producers can drive bottom-up market transformation.
Join us Integrated market solutions
We work on market-driven solutions with producers, traders, service providers and local governments to set conditions for sustainable production. Contact us to learn more.
PartnerRelated News
World Water Day: Building an Oasis in The Dry Chaco
Today, to mark International World Water Day, we reflect on two indigenous communities in the Central Chaco region in Paraguay. With the support of Solidaridad, they are benefiting from greater access to water and food security.
Solidaridad releases mid-term review
Solidaridad has released the findings of the mid-term review of its Advocacy for Change and Practice for Change programmes. Alongside the review, Solidaridad shared its response to recommendations.
Smallholder oil palm producers contributing to peace and sustainability in Colombia
Farmers in Tumaco, Colombia, have been cultivating oil palm since the 1960s. However, the arrival of bud rot disease in 2006 had a devastating impact on oil palm crops as well as the livelihoods of many farmers and their families.
Smallholders crucial to preserving the Amazon rainforest
A Solidaridad project in Pará, Brazil, shows how smallholders can improve their incomes and avoid deforestation by integrating livestock and cocoa production.
Smallholder oil palm producers contributing to peace and sustainability in Colombia
In this paper the story of the evolution of the palm oil sector in Tumaco, Colombia is presented and how it has overcome profound crises through coordinated long term actions by private and public partners.
Blog: Soy sustainability requires more than mitigating risks at farm level
In this blog, Solidaridad’s International Programme Coordinator for soy, Alex Ehrenhaus, explores the technical challenges in effective land use monitoring as well as the need for synergy in production values across regions.
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Contact Information
Gonzalo la Cruz
Managing Director, Solidaridad South America
Av. Roosevelt 5866 Miraflores, Lima 18 - Peru