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A rice farming revival: Women farmers lead on food security in Sierra Leone
In rural Sierra Leone, farmers are revitalizing their agricultural practices, and women farmers like Jeneba Hakawa are working hard to increase local rice production. With seeds, tools and training, the Resilient Food and Nutrition Security programme has helped rural community groups develop inland valley swamps for rice cultivation to improve food security and create economic opportunities.
13 December 2024
Family ties, future harvest: Renewing Mexico’s coffee industry In Mexico
In Mexico, coffee farmers face significant environmental and economic challenges, which makes it difficult for young people considering a career in coffee. The project Jóvenes Renovando para el Futuro, which translates to Young People Renewing for the Future, helps young farmers adopt sustainable agricultural practices and work with their family to transform the farm. Javier Anaya, Solidaridad’s Project Officer in…
27 November 2024
How Talatu’s determination transformed her family’s future
Talatu Idris, a Nigerian farmer who cultivates tomatoes, has overcome adversity to secure a brighter future for her family. Through hard work and innovative techniques, she has increased her income fivefold. This achievement was in part due to the Acting Now project, where she gained access to essential agricultural knowledge and resources.
22 November 2024
Strength in diversity: Oil palm farmer commits to sustainability
Rafael Agustin Orantes is a small-scale palm oil producer who advocates for good practices in his community. By adopting eco-friendly polyculture and organic farming, he's not only improving his farm's productivity, he’s working to protect the environment. In partnership with Solidaridad and other stakeholders, Rafa aims to make palm oil farming more resilient to climate change and his crops more…
18 November 2024
Golden opportunity: A champion for safety and equality in Kenya’s gold mines
Women play a vital role in Kenya's artisanal and small-scale gold mining sector, but they face significant challenges. Exposure to harmful substances, long hours, and low pay are common. Eunice Atieno, a dedicated miner, is working to improve conditions for women in her community. She is raising awareness about safety, advocating for fair wages, and inspiring other women to demand…
14 November 2024
Lessons with Professor Yerlis: Learning via WhatsApp in the Amazon
Yerlis Barón is the charismatic professor behind a WhatsApp account providing technical advice to 400 small and medium-sized livestock farmers across 12 municipalities in Caquetá, Colombia. As a livestock veterinarian, she supplements the training done by field technicians from Amazonia Connect. Yerlis moved to Florencia, Caqueta’s capital city, two years ago from Arjona in the Caribbean, and now considers the…
22 October 2024
Rural women pave the way towards gender equality in coffee in Colombia
Over the course of her journey as a coffee farmer in the department of Caqueta, Colombia, Alexis González has challenged traditional gender roles and taken on a leadership role in her community. Now she is inspiring other women to take a greater role in family decisions, band together with other women, and pick up sustainable farming practices through Amazonia Connect.
15 October 2024
From the sky to the soil: A former pilot’s journey into agroecology
From the cockpit of a plane to the heart of sustainable agriculture, Ambroise N’koh’ has shifted to focus on transforming his cocoa farm in Côte d'Ivoire into a model for agroecology. He not only produces high-quality cocoa, he is driving positive change within his community. Ambroise is demonstrating how organic farming can be both profitable and environmentally responsible.
14 October 2024
Fidel Hernández and Amazonia Connect: Learning to teach in Colombia
Fidel Hernández is a teacher in the Caquetá region of Colombia, who is now spreading coffee knowledge throughout the region. He discovered a new passion for coffee farming through the Amazonia Connect initiative and is among a group of sustainable agriculture promoters in his community. His journey is a testament to the power of education and its impact on local economies…
08 October 2024
Manití Project in Peru: Conservation and bio-business
The Manití Project in the Peruvian Amazon takes a holistic approach in its effort to biodiversity conservation in a unique ecological area. The initiative promotes sustainable entrepreneurship, while preserving roughly 15,000 hectares of primary forest. Its goal is a diversified local economy that contributes to conservation of biodiversity showing that environmental protection and human progress can go hand-in-hand.
02 October 2024
Access to quality seeds turns a Nigerian farmer’s dream into a reality
Like many small-scale farmers in Nigeria,Aliyu Sani faced a common struggle: the high costs of farm inputs limited his farm’s potential. Thanks to a project that helps farmers access credit to buy quality seeds and other inputs, he has seen an increase in yields and improved his family's livelihood. Supported by Solidaridad West Africa, the approach has helped farmers reconsider…
26 September 2024
Innovating coffee with women smallholders in Honduras
Café de Mujeres Brisas isn’t just any coffee. The Honduran coffee brand is a testament to the power of innovation and collaboration. Created with help from the organization PROEXO and Solidaridad, Café de Mujeres Brisas emerged from an exchange of women coffee producers. The unique blend not only tastes great, but also tells a powerful story of leadership. With its…
24 September 2024
Arquímedes Ramírez: Combining coffee expertise and conservation in the Amazon
Arquímedes Ramírez, a Colombian coffee farmer, has witnessed firsthand the transformation of his region from deforestation to sustainable coffee production. Through Amazonia Connect, a partnership dedicated to promoting low-emission commodity production, Arquímedes has learned new farming techniques and gained access to higher-quality markets. As a community leader, he has inspired others to adopt sustainable practices and contribute to the preservation…
18 September 2024
Meet Zenebech Gelane: Dairy farming improves a woman’s life in Ethiopia
Zenebech Gelane, a 62-year-old Ethiopian dairy farmer, has transformed her life in the agricultural region of Oromia. Through education and support from the Oromia Coffee and Dairy Development project, Zenebech has increased her milk production and provided for her family. Through training in animal husbandry, fodder farming, and business management, Zenebech has become a successful entrepreneur and a role model…
10 September 2024
Empowering change & promoting sustainable palm oil in Peru
Sonia Peña, a determined and passionate oil palm farmer, has emerged as a beacon of hope and change in the Ucayali region after becoming the first smallholder in Peru to be audited for the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification in the country. A dedicated mother and influential community leader, Sonia is at the forefront of sustainable agriculture and…
03 September 2024
Meet Gumercindo: A sugarcane smallholder takes on a big challenge
Gumercindo Vásquez, a sugarcane smallholder in Veracruz, Mexico, had seen his farm's productivity decline due to climate change. Now, he has updated his farming practices with a focus on sustainability. Through the MAS-CAÑA program, he has learned new farming techniques that have increased his yields and reduced his environmental impact. Gumercindo's success has inspired other smallholders, and participating farmers who…
29 August 2024
Kenyan farmer works a maize miracle with sustainable agriculture
Jackline Sakwa, a 63-year-old Kenyan farmer, has seen a remarkable increase in her maize harvest thanks to a project designed to support sustainable farming practices, increase farmers’ resilience to climate change, and advance gender and social inclusion in Bungoma County by 2025. After just two years, the Creating Shared Value in Maize Value Chain in Kenya project has led to…
27 August 2024
A life change for small-scale farmers in Caquetá: A visit with coffee farmer Daniel Cuellar
Every change brings its challenges and complexities. For Daniel Díaz Cuellar it was no exception when he decided to begin farming coffee in the El Caraño district of Florencia, Caquetá. After halting the cultivation of coca leaf and making the switch, Daniel has stepped up to become a coffee promoter in the Amazonia Connect programme sharing sustainable and low-emission practices…
23 August 2024
Find them all! Engaging communities on biodiversity conservation through games
The Gran Chaco of Argentina teems with wildlife. From anteaters to elusive pumas, this diverse ecosystem is home to a captivating array of creatures. To raise awareness and encourage conservation, a photo contest invited local families to share their encounters with the region's fascinating fauna. Along the way, contest participants are becoming stewards of the area's natural treasures, while their…
20 August 2024
Asómbrate: Promoting climate smart agriculture, harvesting carbon credits
Asómbrate, a programme led by Solidaridad, creates positive incentives for small-scale producers to adopt resilient coffee and cocoa cultivation practices, and benefit from global carbon markets. Agroforestry systems are at the core of the approach. Shade trees, among primary crops, capture carbon from the atmosphere allowing producers to access payments for environmental services and earn additional income for their families.
09 August 2024
More than a cooperative: From gender equality to technological innovation
To improve the position of women in coffee production, while innovating coffee production itself, is a daunting task in conservative Honduras, but Angélica Paz, full of energy and optimism, is up to the challenge. Angélica is a project manager at a Honduran coffee cooperative, Las Capucas, that works closely with Solidaridad and Fairfood through the RECLAIM Sustainability! programme.
02 August 2024
Access to Finance Drives Sustainable Agriculture: David Amoamah’s Story
In Ghana, smallholder farmers like David Amoamah have struggled to access loans for farm improvements. Now, an innovative pilot project connecting farmers with financing, reliable service providers, and a guaranteed market for their crops has brought a real improvement to the livelihoods of 47 oil palm farmers.
05 July 2024
The Nile’s Inspiring Daughter
A lifelong passion for agriculture along with innovative farming techniques are helping Huda, a farmer in Egypt, confront an increasingly harsh climate while supporting her children. Despite her commitment to farming, traditional methods left her crops vulnerable and profits low. The Khair Ardna project provided Huda with training on efficient irrigation, new fertilizers, marketing and ways to combat the effects…
11 June 2024
A commitment to the land in Paraguay
Carl Bielke, 54, is a partner at TRACTUR SACI., a large farm in Eastern Paraguay that supplies soy to Cargill. In 2022, the farm received recognition for their performance in Cargill’s Sustainably Sourced and Supplied programme, which is implemented by Solidaridad.
04 June 2024
Women Dairy Farmers Assert Themselves in Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka, especially for women, it’s not easy to be a dairy farmer. Through a project that provides training in modern practices, leadership and finance, women who work in dairy have recorded higher milk production and increasing incomes. The results for these inspiring farmers demonstrate the power of collaboration and market access to improve the livelihoods for women in…
16 May 2024
Bridging the Financial Gap: Transforming Smallholder Farming Through Access to Finance
In Nigeria, Daniel Ushie, a 61-year-old oil palm farmer, has experienced firsthand the challenges of providing for his family. With support from the Village Savings and Loans Association programme, he has successfully invested in small cassava and palm oil processing mills.
01 May 2024
About face in the Amazon: Rotational grazing helps families find a way to farm better
Ranchers in Brazil are changing how they farm and improving their income while reducing their impact on the environment in the process. Extension officers from Amazonia Connect are helping ranchers, like Alaion Costa and Cleuto Prates, make the move to rotational grazing on their farms in the State of Pará.
18 April 2024
TEH nDESO CONNECTS: Finding New Opportunities with Indonesia’s Small-scale Tea Growers
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…
16 April 2024
