Highlights
Results
129,320
tonne reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (tCO2e)
672,398
hectares under sustainable management
97,706
farmers with access to improved services
Embracing innovation, sustainability, and inclusion to navigate a rapidly evolving landscape
Fluctuating commodity prices and increasing regulatory requirements, such as the EUDR, have created uncertainty for producers. Solidaridad has provided tailored technical assistance on cost reduction, productivity improvements, and market access strategies.
The Climate-Resilient Agriculture (CRA) programme has expanded across seven countries and six commodities. In 2024 alone, 48,703 producers adopted CRA practices on 251,225 hectares, 53% of which was left as native vegetation within farms. This model mitigated 129,320 tonnes of carbon equivalent.
In 2024 we concluded a five-year circular economy pilot with OFI and JDE Peets that resulted in 10,310 hectares becoming more climate-resilient. The project engaged 1,870 coffee farmers in San Martín, Peru, with 532 of them adopting agroforestry practices, soil conservation, coffee pulp composting, and wastewater management.
These practices helped reduce their use of water and synthetic fertilizers, and led to a 65% increase in income, on average. Furthermore, 1,216 families established organic orchards that support food security and household cost savings. Beyond farming, the project explored innovative uses for coffee by-products. Coffee husks were transformed into biofuel pellets, providing a clean alternative to firewood. A production facility for pellets was established, with a promising forecast for annual turnover. Additionally, improved cookstoves were designed to use these pellets, reducing indoor air pollution and respiratory risks for families. A final breakthrough was securing formal access to land. Through the Contracts in Session of Use for Agroforestry Systems (CCUSAF), 68 farmers secured legal access to land by committing to restoration of degraded areas using sustainable agroforestry practices.
The Regenerative Farming Pilot with Nestle in Guerrero and Oaxaca, Mexico, made significant progress with small-scale coffee farmers. A total of 852 producers actively implemented regenerative practices to enhance soil health, water management, and pest/disease resistance. Farm resilience also boosted productivity and income, with 837 producers reporting higher earnings due to improved yields.
In 2024, Solidaridad expanded its Technical Assistance (TA) model, reaching 97,553 producers across Latin America. In Colombia, TA reached 73,553 producers across coffee, cocoa, and livestock, supplementing in-person training through the Climate and Agroforestry Schools with virtual learning via Agrolearning and the Carbon Academy to train over 300 field staff. Field officers supported farmers implementing agroforestry systems, regenerative livestock farming, and gender-responsive initiatives. Within this scheme, Solidaridad is implementing an Inclusive Technical Assistance (ITA) approach, which strengthens technical capacities by recognizing the role each family member has in production, addressing their needs and aspirations, and fostering leadership at the personal, family, and community levels.
Access to finance remains a critical component of Solidaridad’s efforts to support producers in their transition toward sustainability. In 2024, Solidaridad and Oikocredit developed Q’uch to boost small and growing businesses in Guatemala and strengthen the ability of organizations to support entrepreneurship. The initiative mobilised $1.78 million to finance three small businesses in coffee, solar power systems leasing, and vegetable production. Additionally, four more businesses were connected to investors. The new entrepreneurs, including 14 local organizations, received complementary training to enhance internal controls, administrative processes, and climate-resilient business models.
In Brazil, 77 producers in the Amazon accessed more than USD $500,000 in blended credit, enabling investments in labor, inputs, and infrastructure for cocoa processing. A landmark agreement was also signed between Banco da Amazônia (BASA) and the JBS Fund during COP 29 in Azerbaijan, securing BRL 90 million (USD 15.79 million) in credit for producers under the National Programme for Strengthening Family Farming credit lines. Solidaridad is currently collaborating with Banco da Amazônia to finalize the operational structure to ensure disbursement to family farmers.
Also, our efforts have facilitated producer access to the Biocredits programme, an initiative developed in collaboration with local banks and international cooperation partners. It rewards producers who meet sustainability criteria set by the Ministry of Agriculture in Peru, such as deforestation-free cultivation and agroforestry systems. In 2024, approximately 500 producers received Biocredits, supporting the adoption or reinforcement of sustainable practices in coffee and cocoa production. These financial incentives provide producers with the means to continue their sustainability journey using mechanisms already embedded in market institutions, ensuring long-term compliance and resilience.
Finally, Solidaridad launched PrestaMAPE in Peru in 2024. This tool connects Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining (ASM) miners with formal financing sources by consolidating and structuring government databases, Solidaridad field data, and operational records from processing plants into investment profiles. Given the perception of ASM as high-risk due to its informality, geographic remoteness, and technical knowledge gaps, PrestaMAPE enables banks to make informed lending decisions by presenting structured and validated data. A key innovation of PrestaMAPE is the integration of processing plants in the loan repayment process. Miners can repay their loans with mineral ore, reducing cash handling risks and providing an inherent guarantee mechanism for financial institutions. In its first year, PrestaMAPE facilitated access to formal loans for 17 ASM mines, totaling over USD 150,000 under competitive and favorable terms.
Sector transformation continues to be our guiding goal. In 2024, we made significant progress with the soy sector in Bolivia, establishing a governance structure that convenes representatives from the producer sector, industry, NGOs, input providers, and financial institutions. This platform is developing a protocol with criteria and indicators for the production of sustainable soy, which was tested by 70 soy producers in Santa Cruz, covering different production archetypes.
The need to comply with the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) to maintain market access has also created an opportunity to engage producers in meaningful discussions on sustainability and traceability. In 2024, we started an initiative to foster dialogues with the soy and livestock sectors in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The initiative focuses on strengthening national traceability systems and addressing key regulatory barriers to ensure compliance with the EUDR. A major component of the project involved identifying existing tools that support compliance and improving their systems for usability and reach.
In Peru, the Cacao, Forests & Diversity Agreement (ACBD) multi-stakeholder platform has been instrumental in driving progress at sector level. Under ACBD, our work has centered on enhancing transparency, improving traceability, and promoting deforestation-free production, enabling producers to access incentives for sustainable practices while ensuring EUDR compliance. With Solidaridad leading the digital traceability tools sub-group, the Digital Identity application was successfully integrated into the National Agricultural Registry (Padrón Agrario). This tool, developed under the Amazon Innovatech project, and tested with cocoa producers in San Martín, enables farmers to georeference their farms, update personal data, and access market prices and climate information, strengthening their market positioning and financial opportunities. Producers were able to map 1,600 farm polygons, which they now own and can connect to any available deforestation tracking platform, including those used by cooperatives and buyers. These polygons were also uploaded to the National Agricultural Registry, enhancing supply chain transparency and expanding market access.
In 2024, the palm oil sector in Latin America became an example of how demand can drive sustainability, with the RSPO standard guiding continuous improvement. Across Peru, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, strong partnerships between mills, RSPO, and local producer federations have ensured that sustainability efforts align with market requirements while maintaining access to high-value buyers.
The sector has advanced traceability, jurisdictional sustainability approaches, and digital monitoring tools to strengthen RSPO compliance and EUDR alignment. Extension Solution, an in-house tool to support field officers, has been instrumental in managing the certification process, compliance monitoring, and deforestation tracking, integrating with platforms like Ecopalma to assess the carbon footprint of production. Satellite-based deforestation monitoring further reinforces transparency and supply chain integrity, ensuring that producers can meet international sustainability standards.
Specific progress has taken place in each country. In Peru, sourcing guidelines developed in collaboration with Alicorp are reinforcing deforestation-free compliance with RSPO alignment. In Colombia, progress towards sustainability has led to progress in formal rural employment, becoming a reference point in the country for good rural labor conditions. Honduras has made key advancements in technical assistance and compliance tools, helping mills improve labor conditions and transparency. Meanwhile, in Mexico, international buyers are improving their understanding of the status of their suppliers in regard to RSPO with assessments based on this framework. Further actions will be taken considering their results.
Change that Matters Stories
Sustainability Solutions
Social Inclusion and Fair Ownership
Improving opportunities for women and artisanal miners
In 2024, the Latin American Digital Unit launched Solis, a mobile application designed to enhance the interaction between field officers and small-scale farmers, fostering knowledge-sharing on locally relevant agricultural practices. Solis mirrors the structure of social media platforms to create a dynamic, two-way communication channel between field staff and farmers, making technical knowledge more accessible and engaging. Solis includes action plans for producers and facilitates peer-to-peer engagement, where farmers share experiences and best practices, reinforcing trust and collective learning within agricultural communities.
In 2024, the Latin American Digital Unit launched Solis, a mobile application designed to enhance the interaction between field officers and small-scale farmers, fostering knowledge-sharing on locally relevant agricultural practices. Solis mirrors the structure of social media platforms to create a dynamic, two-way communication channel between field staff and farmers, making technical knowledge more accessible and engaging. Solis includes action plans for producers and facilitates peer-to-peer engagement, where farmers share experiences and best practices, reinforcing trust and collective learning within agricultural communities.
In parallel, we also piloted Impulsa, an incentives and rewards initiative powered by digital tools to encourage farmers to adopt better practices. Funded by the Bonsucro Impact Fund and implemented with sugarcane small-scale farmers in Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Colombia, this project combined behavioral science with information technology to drive sustainability improvements.
Lessons learned from both Solis and Impulsa highlight the importance of user-centric design, interactive engagement, and meaningful incentives in driving behavioural change. The participatory approach of Solis proved essential in ensuring digital adoption, while Impulsa demonstrated that short-term incentives and gamification can effectively motivate farmers to engage with technical assistance. Farmers responded positively to both initiatives when they saw tangible benefits, whether in the form of knowledge-sharing, financial rewards, or improved access to resources. Additionally, while digital solutions enhance scalability and efficiency, they must be complemented with in-person support to maximize long-term adoption and impact.
Studies and campaigns to create awareness and make informed decisions
In order to provide sector stakeholders with useful and up to date information, we published more than 20 studies. We also tested new ways to reach and engage producers to keep them up to date of new market requirements and incentives.
Organization & Governance
Continuing integration and extending borders
2024 was the second year of integration of Central and South America. At a financial level, we fully consolidated the aggregation of our accounts. At the organizational structure level, we separated the Central American structure and leadership into two: Mexico and Central America (including Honduras, Nicaragua and Guatemala). In terms of new countries, we had initial explorations of work on sugarcane in Cuba in partnership with the company Pernod Ricard.
As of December 2024, the total number of employees in Solidariadad Latinoamérica was 504. Colombia has the largest percentage of employees with 51%, followed by Peru with 19% and Brazil with 15%. The employee population in other countries in the region varies between 1% and 4%.
In terms of gender distribution, 46% of employees are women, 54% men. In one country, we have almost 100% female staff. Female representation in the Latin American management team is 43%. The age distribution is concentrated in two main groups: employees under 35 years of age (39%) and employees between 35 and 50 years of age (32%).
During 2024, there has been an increase in collaboration with project managers to design/develop communication campaigns geared at producers.
The Colombian team led the Asómbrate 360° campaign to introduce voluntary carbon markets to small-scale coffee and cocoa farmers. A multi-country website was launched to provide Colombian, Peruvian and Central American farmers with information about the benefits of carbon markets and requirements to enroll in the Acorn platform, operated by Rabobank. The website also offers access to the Carbon Academy, where farmers can learn about agroforestry and carbon measurements. This was coupled with a peer-to-peer video featuring a cocoa farmer influencer explaining his journey and several local “Climate Fair” events. Additionally, farmers who enrolled to receive payments for carbon captures joined an SMS group to receive monthly updates about the programme, while producers already receiving payments got access to a WhatsApp chatbot where they could check their payments, CRU captures, and assigned field officers.
The other three producer campaigns were geared at creating awareness around the EUDR among coffee and cocoa producers, a safety campaign for artisanal and small-scale miners (ASM), and a wildlife conservation photo contest. In all three cases, delivering concrete benefits or rewards fueled participation, learning and adoption of good practices.
For example, farmers who completed the georeferencing training for EUDR received their farm maps printed and framed in an award event. In the case of the safety campaign, the communication team organized several events to launch activities and reward producers who completed challenges. Also, ASM miners received phone pocket card holders to save risk reminders and signboards showing the number of days without accidents.
The wildlife conservation photo contest was designed to involve the whole family in identifying species, with every participant receiving playing cards with pictures of the animals present in the area and their vulnerability status. All the pictures and videos sent were edited into reels for social media with explanations on what to do when an animal is spotted and their importance for the ecosystem and agricultural activities.
Five digital campaigns for international days of recognition were developed. Notably, for International Coffee Day, we mapped how a circular coffee supply chain appears, and worked with the coffee managers in each office to identify the nine sustainable practices that can be applied regionally to improve farmer livelihoods. Also, for International Rural Women’s Day, we collected examples and quotes from women participating in projects from all over Latin America to highlight the importance of women entrepreneurship in rural areas.
More than 20 studies and evaluations have been carried out across Latin America in 2024. Our research covers a wide range of relevant areas for sector stakeholders.
- We run economic viability studies on Colombian cocoa production and soy land use changes in Brazil.
- We provided data for market uptake, exploring deforestation monitoring tools under the EUDR in Peru, and the preparedness of the coffee sector in Mexico and Central America to comply with EUDR regulations and potential impacts.
- Social inclusion was also a central theme, including in-depth analyses of women’s participation in coffee and cocoa sectors in Peru, soy and babassu supply chains in Brazil, and coffee and livestock in Colombia.
- Additionally, we provided data on carbon footprint in the Brazilian coffee sector, greenhouse gas emissions in Colombia’s cocoa sector, and environmental regulation of family farming in Brazil to support our climate-resilient interventions.
One of the studies we would like to highlight is the EUDR Readiness Assessment and its potential impacts on the coffee sectors of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. The livelihoods of 766,500 coffee growers are at risk due to coffee price volatility and the uncertainty surrounding the new trade regulations outlined in the EUDR. The governments of coffee-producing countries (and those in other sectors covered by the regulations) play a key regulatory role, especially in countries with public institutions and national governing bodies, such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras, which facilitate and support the market, exports, and technical relations of the supply chain within the country. In Nicaragua, a space for public-private dialogue already exists, and the roles, functions, and responsibilities of stakeholders in the chain are being defined to meet the requirements of the EUDR. However, for this to occur in a timely manner, producer countries require technical and financial support to better meet the regulation’s requirements, fund field operations, and reduce the risk of losing trade relations with commercial operators in the EU.
Finance
Based on preliminary figures, the total expenditure execution in 2024 was EUR 19 million. This is in line with the budget set for the year and EUR 1.3 million higher than in 2023 (7% increase).
Our main sources of income in 2024 were the private sector (40%), public sector (40%) and non-profit organizations (20%). Our top public donors included the Dutch Government, with an investment of EUR 3.8 M; USAID, with an investment of EUR 1.5 M; and the German Government, with an investment of EUR 1 M. Our main private donors include the JBS Fund for the Amazon, with an investment of EUR 900,000; Coca-Cola Brazil, with an investment of EUR 653,000; and Cargill, with an investment of 543,000.
Staff costs accounted for 45% vs. 47% budgeted. This figure was 43% in 2023. Partners and consultants accounted for 28% vs. 19% budgeted. It was 32% in 2023. Activities accounted for 27% vs. 34% budgeted. This figure was 25% in 2023.
Due to changes in the workplan of some projects, a higher number of implementing partners were engaged in 2024.
All information above is based on the unaudited figures over 2024. The official audited financial statements over 2024 will be uploaded here as soon as they are available.