Solidaridad Network (HQ)

Solidaridad is an international network organisation with more than 50 years of experience in creating fair and sustainable supply chains from producer to consumer. Solidaridad believes that fair and sustainable trade reduces poverty and helps to preserve people's environment. Innovative and proactive

Solidaridad has developed into a specialized organization for sustainable development. It has a good track record as a force for innovation. Its development as a learning organization with the capacity to anticipate and respond to new developments and opportunities on the market is the hallmark of Solidaridad's organizational culture and strategy.

Objectives

Strengthening producer organizations and civil society organizations in developing countries that are working on the sustainable development of their economy.
Involving companies, financial institutions and investors in developing supply chains with added value for producers, created through fair trade and corporate social responsibility.
Creating a support base for sustainable economic development in society, and among citizens and consumers in particular, through providing information. This involves raising awareness and changing behaviour in order to create new economic, political and cultural relations in both developing and developed countries.

Mission

To combat structural poverty and to promote peace and justice. A mission that sustainable economic development can go a long way towards fulfilling. Solidaridad's programme is based on the following convictions:

There is only one Earth, and it is our task to look after it for our children.
Poverty is degrading and should be eradicated from the world.
The balance between 'growth' and 'distribution' can only be preserved if the poor themselves are the agents of development.

Vision

Solidaridad is inspired by the vision that sustainable production in agriculture and industry, combined with fair trade in the products of these activities, can make a significant contribution to combating poverty and preserving people's environment, in the context of a globalizing economy. Creating a living wage and humane working conditions for people in developing countries provides the basis for a decent existence and the conditions for putting a stop to the wholesale theft of scarce natural resources. 

Organization Activities

Solidaridad works on creating sustainable supply chains from the producer to the consumer. This enables producers in developing countries to get a better price for better products and it helps to preserve people's environment. It helps companies in the marketplace to implement Corporate Social Responsibility and find sustainable suppliers.

The organization’s worldwide network of expertise centres closely collaborates with local partners. Together they deliver the following services: 

Services to producers

Training farmers in farming techniques that have less negative impact on people and the environment and lead to better products and higher yields.
Supporting producer organizations through capacity building and organizational strengthening.
Assisting producer organizations to get access to means of production, finance and markets.
Supporting agricultural producer organizations and industrial producer companies to qualify for social and environmental certification standards.

Services to companies

Support companies to implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) and source sustainably in developing countries.
Develop sustainable business concepts in order to broaden the marketplace for sustainable products from developing countries.
Support the marketing of sustainable products and communication about CSR to better inform consumers and business partners.

Other services

Developing certification initiatives for sustainable production and fair trade (such as Fair Trade and UTZ CERTIFIED).
Supporting civil society organizations that empower women, farmers or employees, as well as organizations that protect nature and the environment.
Seeking dialogue with stakeholders and the public using our network, knowledge, experience and views on sustainable economic development and corporate social responsibility.