What we do
Check our new international website: www.solidaridadnetwork.org
Chain development
Sustainable trade flows occur when all the links in the chain play their part. This makes organizing support within production chains a core task for Solidaridad, and we stimulate chain development at every stage, from farmer to consumer. We increase the knowledge and skills of farmers and labourers in developing countries, and stimulate improvements in product quality, certification, processing, trade, traceability, financing, purchasing, communication and the marketing of the end product.
Producer support
Solidaridad has developed a big programme for producer support, using a range of instruments to pay consistent attention to training, quality management, financing, exchange of experience, management, efficiency and sales. These services are used by tens of thousands of farmers and other producers all over the world.
Certification and traceability
Certification provides a reliable independent test of the sustainability of the product and the production process. A sustainability label carries a certain weight among traders and consumers. Certification systems supported by Solidaridad include: UTZ CERTIFIED, SA-8000, Max Havelaar and the EKO label. UTZ CERTIFIED and MADE-BY also offer a track&trace system that provides information about the origin of products, thereby increasing the scope for communication about a product's journey from farm to shop.
Financing mix
Financing of development cooperation used to come mainly from donations, but that has changed. Many people now know about the effectiveness of micro financing, for example. Besides donations, there is now an important role for credit and investments, which can contribute to sustainable chain development in various combinations. Solidaridad sees its task as using these credit funds and investment capital for sustainable economic growth in developing countries. To this end, Solidaridad Business Concepts has entered into a close collaboration with sustainable investors. The diagram below gives an idea of the many possibilities for this.
Marketing and communication
You cannot put sustainable products and services on the market without modern forms of marketing and communication. Solidaridad conducts market research in close collaboration with GfK Panel Services, helps partners with the communications and public relations for their market launches, feeds public debate on relevant issues, and maintains contacts with interest groups in the production chain and in the society around it. Lobbying the government, the business world and NGOs is also part of our way of working.
