Solidaridad Asia

18/08/2026

Groundwater is a lifeline for agricultural communities in north Gujarat. But, what happens when its reserves start declining?

Stress on water reserves in the region can imperil farm-level irrigation and food security. This has severe implications for farmers who mostly grow castor, groundnut, cumin, and other crops in the region. Poor yields can leave the farmers staring at significant losses, while local supply chains dependent on these crops also face shortages.

Realizing the need to address the issue, five artificial recharge tube wells have been constructed in the villages of Patosan, Sasam, Salla, Kumbhasan, and Jagana in Banaskantha, north Gujarat. These structures—built under Pragati, the sustainable castor initiative—directly channel filtered monsoon runoff into deeper, more productive aquifers through a silt trap, filtration chamber, and engineered casing system.

To promote water stewardship, these wells have also been formally handed over to the respective gram panchayats, where they will support inspection, desilting, and monitoring activities in the years to come.

Together, the five wells are estimated to annually recharge over 13.58 million litres of rainwater which will flow back into the aquifer. Savings of this magnitude will support irrigation security, drinking water availability, and climate resilience for thousands of families across these villages—and provide a replicable, scaleable model for regions facing similar challenges.

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia | Arkema | BASF | Jayant Agro Organics Ltd.

14/08/2026

That mulching is good for the soil is widely accepted. But, plastic mulching? Not so much.

Plastic mulch does not degrade easily, and its residues poison the soil with harmful chemicals, contaminate water, and damage soil biodiversity. Furthermore, leftover plastic is often burned or discarded, harming the environment even more.

The solution? Biodegradable mulch. Under the Healthy Soil, Prosperous Farmers (HSPF) project, farmers in the Dhar and Jhabua districts of Madhya Pradesh are being introduced to this practical alternative which:

✅Conserves soil moisture and reduces irrigation needs
✅Suppresses weeds effectively without leaving plastic residues
✅Regulates soil temperature for better crop growth
✅Naturally decomposes during the crop cycle, eliminating the need for disposal or burning
✅Adds organic carbon to the soil, supporting healthier soils and long-term sustainability

The HSPF project features a partnership between Solidaridad Asia, Nunhems, and the World Vegetable Center that seeks to introduce regenerative agriculture solutions among small-scale vegetable farmers.

Solidaridad Network

12/08/2026

When it comes to feminizing agricultural supply chains, does merely counting the number of women included convey the whole picture?

In her opinion article, Satabdi Kashyap (Senior Manager, PMEL, at Solidaridad Asia) delves deep into the learnings from the implementation of the Pathways to Prosperity programme in Asia to analyse what really counts as a successful demonstration of the feminization model. What she finds is more complex than what a simple analysis of numbers would suggest—in fact, a systemic shift towards incorporating women in the very design and conception of a project would seem to be the need of the hour.

08/08/2026

For independent oil palm farmers, an extreme dry season isn't just a weather forecast. It is a direct threat to their economic survival.

In Indonesia, the peak of the 2026 dry season is predicted to occur in August. Coupled with the looming potential for El Niño, the stakes have never been higher.

The message for Indonesia's agricultural sector is clear: we cannot just wait for the rain. We must prepare the ground. Devastation does not have to accompany a drought-like situation if farmers remain prepared.

At Solidaridad, we are working side by side with independent oil palm farmers to build climate resilience from the ground up through regenerative agriculture. By shifting the focus to restoring soil health, farmers are actively turning vulnerable land into drought-resistant assets.

Here is how they are doing it:

✅ Improving Soil Moisture Retention: By applying organic soil conditioners, farmers improve the underlying soil structure. This allows the earth to trap and retain precious water reserves deep in the root zone, right where the crops need it most.

✅Planting Protective Blankets: Cover crops are utilized as a living shield. They lock in critical soil moisture and protect essential nutrients from deactivating under the harsh sun.

The result? Crops that stand resilient and productive, even when the dry season stretches on.

Preserving a healthy soil is, thus, our primary armour for adapting to the harsh and uncertain realities of climate change, ensuring that farmers can maintain their livelihoods no matter the weather.

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia | Solidaridad Indonesia

01/08/2026

: "In the debate over palm oil, nuance, not fear, should guide choices."

In their opinion article, Sumit Roy and Shoba Suri argue for the need to introspect the "No Palm Oil" trend more closely in India. In the process, they unpack the science behind the oil, and debunk the various myths around the supposed health and environmental harms of palm oil.

Find out more here.

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia | Observer Research Foundation | Choose Palm For India | Indian Express

30/07/2026

In Maharashtra, India, sugarcane is hand-cut by migrant workers. They travel long distances away from their homes to earn money, to support their families. They often work in groups of 10-14 people. The risks at work are significant: lack of safety gear (such as gloves), first-aid kits and lack of access to shade and rest areas and safe drinking water. In India’s tough climatic conditions, these are critical gaps.

Find out how the SEEDS programme, a partnership between Solidaridad Asia, The Coca-Cola Company, Dalmia Bharat Sugar and Industries Ltd., and Baramati Agro Ltd in Maharashtra, works towards ensuring safe and decent working conditions for workers.

25/07/2026

When it comes to oil palm plantations, we often focus too much on how to increase yields. However, there is one long-term investment that is no less important for the future of our gardens and the earth—maintaining High Conservation Value (HCV) areas.

For independent palm oil farmers, setting aside a small area around the plantation, such as riverbanks or small remaining forests, does not mean reducing profits. Instead, this is a smart move to protect farmers' main assets: the land and water in their environment.

Environmental sustainability is not the enemy of economic profit. For independent farmers, protecting the nature around their gardens is a guarantee that their farming business will remain alive and productive in the long term. Gardens remain fertile, the earth is cared for, and family welfare is secure.

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia | Solidaridad Indonesia

17/07/2026

Sri Lanka knows better than most countries the cost of import dependence—fuel being the largest item in its import basket. As such, its farm and food systems remain tied to imported energy, nutrients, and dairy ingredients.

Sri Lanka therefore does not need another imported dependency disguised as modernisation. It needs technologies that convert local resources into local resilience. A biodigester takes what a farm already has, manure, labour, livestock and land, and turns it into clean cooking gas, organic nutrients, lower costs, women’s time, carbon revenue and healthier villages.

Read our managing director Shatadru Chattopadhayay's opinion piece on why and how biodigesters can be an integral part of addressing Sri Lanka's food and energy security challenges.

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia | Nucleus Foundation | FT Sri Lanka

14/07/2026

Earlier this month, Solidaridad Indonesia won the Medbun Awards under the category of "Excellence in Strategic Partnership Ecosystems in Sustainable Oil Palm". The awards, an initiative of Media Perkebunan, seek to drive innovation and growth in Indonesia's palm oil sector.

The award recognises Solidaridad's decade-long commitment to building a sustainable and inclusive palm oil ecosystem. Recognizing that small-scale farmers often lack the resources to meet global benchmarks, the organization champions a partnership model built on three pillars:

✅ Better Land Use: Assisting with land legality and incorporation of eco-friendly practices
✅ Higher Incomes: Boosting productivity to significantly improve farmers' economic welfare
✅ Inclusive Markets: Ensuring that smallholders and their produce are fairly integrated into verified global supply chains

Ultimately, the award recognizes Solidaridad's success in proving that true sustainability is impossible without securing the welfare of independent farmers.

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia

12/07/2026

: When it comes to edible oil, India faces a widening gap between growing consumer demand and production capacity. The growing dependence on imports, in turn, leaves its domestic food security susceptible to the volatile fluctuations of international pricing markets and putting pressure on the state exchequer.

Ensuring edible oil security requires India to strike a deliberate balance between optimised domestic production and sustainably managed imports. This shifts the focus from the simplistic ‘produce at home versus import’ debate to a more strategic question: how can India secure its long-term edible oil needs without externalising environmental and social costs?

Read on to find out how India can ensure edible oil security without compromising sustainability: https://eng.ruralvoice.in/opinion/sustainable-palm-oil-production-key-to-indias-long-term-edible-oil-security.html

Solidaridad Network | Solidaridad Asia | Rural Voice | Choose Palm For India

India must improve domestic palm oil productivity rather than expand cultivation indiscriminately to reduce its heavy dependence on imports, the article argues. It advocates climate-smart farming, higher yields, sustainable production standards, and responsible imports through the IPOS framework to....