Who we are - Solidaridad Network

About us

Change that matters

International cooperation with people throughout the value chain is at the heart of our work, with a focus on small scale and family farmers, and workers on farms, in mines, and in supply chains and their communities.

We envision a world in which the economy works for all: where all we produce, and all we consume, can sustain us while respecting the planet, each other and the generations to come.

We enable farmers and workers to earn a decent income, shape their own future, and produce in balance with nature by working throughout the whole supply chain to make sustainability the norm.

We’re reclaiming sustainability in its essence: power to the people (inclusivity), respect for the planet (producing in balance with nature) and a fair share for everyone in the chain (prosperity). That’s the true meaning of sustainability for Solidaridad. Supply chains cannot be sustainable if we don’t take all these aspects into account. Read more about our strategy here.

Although we work in more than 40 countries with 8 independently supervised regional officers, we share a commitment to a common set of values:

Solidarity: we are faithful to the name of our organization in a deeply rooted solidarity with smallholder farmers, workers, and producers
Solutions: we are pragmatic problems solvers
Impact: we are impact-driven and fully committed to achieve change that matters
Interdependence: we are dependent on each other and on the planet, so we need to collaborate
Innovation: we believe continuous learning and development adds value and leads to positive change
Inclusivity: we believe everyone has the potential to contribute and the right to be heard
Integrity: we adhere to the highest ethical principles and professional standards

The Solidaridad network structure was built on the idea that meaningful change grows from within communities, and a collaborative work environment based on the exchange and debate of different ideas and perspectives will create the most innovative solutions. Diversity and representation of many different perspectives and identities is not just nice to have; it is essential to the mission of reclaiming sustainability.

Inclusion is prioritized at all levels of work within Solidaridad; from programming that promotes gender equality in historically male-dominated sectors such as gold or palm oil, to leadership within our Senior and Board level positions. A strong integrity structure supports open and honest dialogue and secure pathways for reporting and addressing issues.

All this makes up the core of what Solidaridad stands for: equity. Creating a more fair and equitable supply chain starts from our working culture and permeates through our programmes, communications and partnerships.

Our approach

International organization with boots and brains on the ground

We’re proud of our defining features: our global scope and local focus; our thirst for innovation and capacity to maintain what works well; and our many partnerships with people throughout the value chain – essential for fostering genuine sustainability.

Global organization, local staff

Local staff know the people, the cultural, political and economic context, the language; they have connections and relationships, positioning them to do the most high impact, relevant work on the ground. Read more about our organization.

Continuity and innovation

We believe in the value of transformation and innovative ways of working to tackle global challenges. Over the years, we have reinvented ourselves many times to meet changing environments, demands and challenges, while always driven by the core values of solidarity and innovation.

Partnerships

Partnerships bring different knowledge, skills, connections that make two parts much stronger and more capable than one alone. We strive to bring value to every partnership, and learn from every engagement. Read more about our partnerships.

History

For the last fifty years, Solidaridad has been building experience in fighting poverty and advocating for sustainable production. Solidaridad helped to found the Fairtrade movement, and for decades have been developing innovative solutions to the problems within global supply chains. And with that experience we are now working at scale: over the last 4 years we have improved practices with 1.4 million producers, and 3 million more hectares of land are now being sustainably managed.