Posted on June, 21 2013

A farmers’ union, representing more than 1,000 producers in Bahia, Brazil, has signed a partnership with Solidaridad and IDH (the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative) to promote Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) certification among their members.

Through the project, farmers will receive incentives to comply with RTRS standards allowing them to preserve areas of high conservation value and to promote best management practices, fair working conditions and respect of land claims. Over the next 3 years, the goal is to reach 80,000 hectares of certified soy in western Bahia.

For the farmers’ union in Bahia, the RTRS standard brings the opportunity to differentiate their produce in the marketplace. By complying with the standard, farmers can expect a range of benefits including access to premium markets, preferential financing from banking institutions and access to support funds.

The Western region of Bahia consists of 39 municipalities totalling an area of 6 million hectares, of which 4 million hectares is suitable for rain-fed and irrigated agriculture.

Solidaridad Network