We are living in so-called VUCA times: volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. Around the world, the pressure on civic space is tremendous. Two years of Covid made operations on the ground complicated and a world clash between autocracy and democracy makes free operations vulnerable. As a civil society organization rooted in the Global South, we continuously need to claim our necessary space to act with the private sector as well as with public institutions.
In this chaotic environment, we have been delivering our solutions from a farmers-first perspective, resulting in clear, measurable results in 2021.
Last year, we managed to train no less than 1.2 million farmers and over 700,000 workers on better practices. As a result, a whopping 2.6 million hectares have been brought under sustainable management, 28 MT CO2 has been sequestered, and 629,000 farmers saw improved yields and income. Our indirect impact is even bigger if you consider the 9 new or improved mandatory sustainable frameworks we helped to put in place.
This impact is illustrated by compelling stories of change, like Gibson and Faith, who are farming coffee in Nyeri, Kenya. Or Kalu Singh from Madhya Pradesh India who is raising his farm income by moving to medicinal herbs. Or João Evangelista, whose cocoa – with the assistance of Solidaridad – was ranked among the world’s best 50 bean samples, while contributing to the restauration of the Amazon. All these stories – and more – can be found in our annual report over 2021.
We drew on our strength as a network organization to learn, adapt, and grow with our global knowledge base. We focused heavily on nurturing strong internal systems and learning, and weaved in elements of digital innovation and technology, gender and social inclusion, and food systems to our work around the world, reaching more than 1.2 million farmers and workers.
Our over 1,000 staff in 42 countries have made this possible. A significant achievement given the restrictions we were facing during Covid.
But all this is only possible with all the donors and partners who are contributing to our work in so many ways. On behalf of the entire Solidaridad staff and all beneficiaries involved, thank you! With your support, we can jointly change the lives of many more farmers on the globe. Let us keep on creating meaningful impact together!
