Three pathways to long-term impact
The vision for the RECLAIM Sustainability programme is of a strong civil society, with sustainable and inclusive global value chains, where farmers, miners, workers and citizens are well represented and involved in decision-making processes. This ambition is a process that unfolds over time and requires persistence to achieve. Since 2021, through the RECLAIM Sustainability! programme, we’ve been working towards impact along three pathways:
💬 Advocate through inclusive dialogue
📣 Amplify the voice of citizenry
📱 Accelerate disruptive innovations
To get a taste of the diversity of our global programme, watch the overall video, introducing Justa Taype, Tapan Mandal, and Alice Natukunda.
The story of Justa Taype from Peru: 💬 Advocate through inclusive dialogue
Justa Taype is a miner and board member at the National Network of Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining in Peru. Together with her colleague Soledad Limascca and Lucía Hidalgo at Solidaridad, she tells the story of women miners and pallaqueras in Peru.
Pallaqueras are women miners who work on the outskirts of artisanal mines, manually collecting gold-bearing ore from mine waste piles or slopes. They face challenging working conditions and a lot of insecurity, but they are taking charge to improve the situation. More than 400 women miners have united in the National Network of Women in Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining to advocate and lobby the government to recognize their work as women miners. They also advocate for the regulations on artisanal and small-scale mining to take their situation into account.
Together, they are stronger in advocating for this important change. Currently, the National Network comprises 18 supporting associations. Over the past year, it has visited eight communities, engaging with more than 240 women miners who learned about the Network and voiced their key demands.
In December 2023, the first Gender Plan was approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mines to promote gender equality in the artisanal mining sector. However, its implementation has experienced delays due to ongoing challenges within the ministry. Despite this, the National Network remains committed to strengthening its advocacy for equal rights and opportunities in the sector.
The story of Tapan Mandal from India: 📣Amplify the voice of citizenry
Join us on a visit with tea grower Tapan Mandal in India as he shows us his farm and tells his story! We’ll also meet Bangshidhar Roy and Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty to see how collective organizing is changing prospects for tea growers in the country.
In India, many small-scale tea growers sell their harvest individually through supply chain brokers, which often results in a low price. Tea growers are now uniting into collectives and building their abilities to improve their position in the value chain and negotiate for better prices and terms. Some of the strengthened collectives are now supplying their tea leaves directly to the factories.
And these collectives, in turn, can join larger associations that support and amplify their impact as tea growers. This project is implemented in collaboration with the Indian Tea Association (ITA) and the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations (CISTA). Seven associations, including 2 women’s collectives, that currently represent 110,000 tea growers, continue to expand across India.
The story of Alice Natukunda from Uganda: 📱Accelerate disruptive innovations
Alice Natukunda, coffee farmer and secretary manager at Nyeibingo Growers Co-operative Society, along with John Cherek and Derick Komwangi, shares how digitization is changing the game for small-scale coffee farmers and cooperatives in Uganda.
Coffee cooperatives in the country have started using Trace, a digital application from Fairfood, to streamline farmer payments and transactions, with the goal of increasing transparency and traceability in the value chain, from producer to consumer.
This is an important step that supports compliance with a new regulatory environment that requires greater insight into the value chain. Companies like Fairtrade Original are now able to trace the coffee they purchase back to the producers and show that the producers received a living income reference price for their produce. This RECLAIM Sustainability! project is implemented in collaboration with the Ankole Coffee Producers Co-operative Union (ACPCU) and Nyeibingo Growers Co-operative Society.
About RECLAIM Sustainability!
The RECLAIM Sustainability! programme is on a mission to make global value chains more sustainable and inclusive, with an important role for a strengthened civil society. We’re working closely with farmers, miners, workers, and a wide range of partners around the world to ensure everyone has a chance for an equal participation and a better quality of life.
This initiative is brought to life through a global consortium of Solidaridad, Fairfood, TrustAfrica, and Business Watch Indonesia, in a strategic partnership with the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Together, we’re building stronger, more equitable value chains that benefit all stakeholders.
Ready to learn more? Dive into the details here.
Interested to watch the whole video series in one go? Check out our RECLAIM Sustainability! impact video playlist. This video series is produced in collaboration with MAKMENDE Media. Photo credits: Connie France, Mikma Lepcha, Jjumba Martin, ©Solidaridad/Fairfood.
NEWS AND RESOURCES
