Solidaridad International

The Solidaridad Network is an international civil society organization that has been advocating for sustainable smallholder agriculture and social justice worldwide for over 50 years. Founded in 1969, Solidaridad aims to shape supply chains to be economically, ecologically, and socially responsible[1][4].

Solidaridad's mission is to make sustainability the norm across entire supply chains. This includes supporting smallholder farmers and workers so they can achieve a living income, shape their own futures, and produce in harmony with nature. Solidaridad stands for values such as solidarity, pragmatic problem-solving, effective change, interdependence, innovation, inclusivity, and integrity[2][4].

Solidaridad operates in over 40 countries with eight regional expertise centers and focuses on various areas such as:

• Coffee and Fairtrade: Solidaridad played a key role in founding the Fairtrade movement and introduced the Max Havelaar coffee label[1].
• Sustainable agriculture: Supporting smallholder farmers in implementing good agricultural practices and sustainably managing over 1.9 million hectares of land[5].
• Textiles and cotton: Introduction of the Sustainable Cotton Ranking Index and promotion of sustainable cotton production[1].
• Soybeans: Founding member and board member of the Round Table on Responsible Soy, with projects for certifying soybeans for small and medium-sized farmers[1].
• Gold: Supporting small-scale mining operations in reducing environmental impacts and implementing mercury-free technologies[1].
• Palm oil: Promoting better land use planning and sustainable palm oil production, e.g., through the Sustainable West Africa Palm Oil Programme (SWAPP)[1].

Solidaridad is committed to a variety of sustainability goals, including:

• Robust infrastructure: Strengthening local capacities and infrastructure to promote sustainable production.
• Good practices: Promoting and implementing good agricultural and mining practices.
• Sustainable landscapes: Creating and preserving sustainable landscapes through better land use planning.
• Promotion of policy and regulation: Creating political and regulatory frameworks that support sustainable production[1].

Solidaridad operates in a decentralized and participatory manner, with seven regional centers on five continents and a network secretariat in Utrecht, Netherlands. The organization places great importance on partnerships with local communities, businesses, and other stakeholders to jointly develop and implement sustainable solutions[3][4].

Through its work, Solidaridad has made significant progress in recent years, including improving practices for 1.4 million producers and sustainably managing 3 million hectares of land. Solidaridad remains an important player in the fight for a fair and sustainable global economy.

• 1 - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solidaridad_(organization)
• 2 - https://solidaridad.de/wer-wir-sind/
• 3 - https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/organization/
• 4 - https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org/who-we-are/
• 5 - https://www.solidaridadnetwork.org