Market Uptake

The Boosting Agriculture and Food Security project in Sierra Leone wrapped up with a ceremony to celebrate the opening of the country’s first modern cashew processing facility. As part of a larger project that focused on cashew, cocoa and coffee value chains, the new factory will create jobs for women and youth, boost cashew production, and improve the livelihoods of cashew processors and farmers.

Solidaridad’s RECLAIM Sustainability! programme is collaborating with Malawi tea producers as they face new challenges and prepare to transform the country’s tea sector. Through technology and automation, Malawi hopes to inspire other southern African countries as it makes plans to implement a comprehensive tea sector overhaul.

Pragati, a sustainable castor project implemented by Solidaridad in India, has successfully completed its seventh year. After promoting the certification of more than 7,000 castor farmers in over 100 villages, the initiative has moved into its third phase. Pragati remains committed to sustainable farming practices and effective water resource management, along with an increased focus on the specific needs of women castor farmers.

Solidaridad, planetGOLD Peru, and the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru co-organized a panel at Perumin36 to explore how financial inclusion can contribute to the development of the ASM sector, and share positive examples that can be replicated by others.

The criticism of CO2 compensation programmes continues unabated. The market is full of fake certificates, as reported by ZEIT and the Guardian. One is inclined to label the entire market as ineffective. But there are counter-examples: the Acorn CO2 trading platform is turning coffee farmers into climate heroes. Our colleagues at Solidaridad Europe went to see for themselves how the project is being implemented on the ground in Colombia and to meet the farmers who have received their first payment.

Within the foreseeable future almost every cotton producing region will be negatively affected by climate change. And smallholder farmers living in poverty because of low cotton prices will not be able to adapt fast enough to ensure reliable production, reveals the latest Cotton Paper.

Tanzanian leatherworkers showcased their work at Africa’s premier convention on innovation and scientific development. As part of Solidaridad’s two-year programme to support business development in southern Africa, the Bulawayo Leather Cluster has improved its efficiency and is committed to establishing new markets for its leather products.

Popular global commodities such as coffee, palm oil, and beef are closely tied to deforestation. As our need and desire for goods continues to grow, forests around the world feel the pressure. Yet, these same forests are critical for the ecosystem services they provide and for helping to mitigate the effects of climate change. Finding a balance between production and responsible stewardship relies on monitoring and traceability tools, which allow us to develop an accurate understanding of these important landscapes.

Cashews are a high value crop that can provide for a sustainable livelihood, but the harvesting and processing can be dangerous. During the shelling process, the nuts produce a liquid that can cause skin burns. A new cashew processing factory is helping female processors improve safety and productivity.