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Green leaf tea, produced by smallholders, accounts for more than 50 percent of India’s total tea production. Even when grappling with newer challenges like the effects of climate change, they continue to face the quality, safety and livelihood issues that have long plagued the tea sector in India and abroad. SoliTrace, a traceability technology solution, is designed to support these tea growers who are often marginalized in the tea value chain.
With oil palm farming in decline in Nigeria, the Cross River State is sowing the seeds of opportunity. In response to the country’s overreliance on crude oil revenues, this state is looking to develop a roadmap in order to sustainably revitalize its agricultural sector through high-value crops like oil palm, cocoa and coffee.
Solidaridad has partnered with BASF to support coffee growers through their ongoing Kajve initiative. The collaboration aims to continue improving adoption of sustainable farming practices, facilitate knowledge sharing, and foster climate-resilient coffee production through innovative and Nature-based Solutions. Explore the potential impact of these collaborative efforts on the future of coffee production in Mexico.
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.
Featured Producer Stories
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.
Innovative approaches to water and land-use are changing agriculture in Bangladesh. Young farmers, like Tania and Rubel, have seen a profound effect.
Through a fruit and vegetable planting programme started by Solidaridad and two partners in 2019, Orlando Chapotera diversified his tobacco farm, affording him and his family with tangible gains in a previously unprofitable business.