Issues and projects

The issues that drive our work

Food systems are at the heart of some of the most pressing issues of our times. They are both culprit and victim of the inter-related challenges of climate change and inequality. In the same way, food systems are part of the solution, too.

Rikolto joins forces with different stakeholders to tackle the burning issues related to our food systems, and accelerate food system change to benefit our planet and its people.

Dive into our projects

With a team of over 200 colleagues, we work in 18 countries around the world. Browse our projects to discover the solutions we co-create to transform our food system.
Sustainable rice
Good Food for Cities
Sustainable cocoa and coffee
Belgium
Benin
Burkina Faso
DR Congo
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Ghana
Guatemala
Honduras
Indonesia
Ivory Coast
Mali
Nicaragua
Peru
Rwanda
Senegal
Spain
Tanzania
The Netherlands
Uganda
Vietnam
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Strengthening rice sector climate adaptation and mitigation in Uganda

Ugandan rice production by smallholder farmers has expanded greatly, and in order for more space for rice production, farmers turn wetlands into paddy fields. Wetland conservation is crucial for adaptation to climate shocks and variability to better absorb stress caused by climate change, and to limit climate change exposure. Rikolto is implementing the "Climate Mitigation and Adaptation for Uganda Rice Sector" project, funded by the Flemish International Climate Action Programme to contribute to Uganda's wetland conservation and climate change mitigation in the rice sector through the widespread adoption of environmentally friendly rice production practices according to the Sustainable Rice Platform (SRP) standard.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Fostering sustainable rice production through climate finance

Funded by the Government of Flanders (Flemish International Climate Action Program), the project was developed with Ecosystem Equity (formerly Greenfi) and is also implemented in partnership with TARI-Ifakara. It aims to increase access to climate finance to support the transition of smallholder rice farmers from conventional to sustainable rice production.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

The white egret: an icon of local rice development in the DRC

Thanks to government cooperation, World Bank funding and the implementation of the PICAGL programme, new dynamics are emerging in the rice value chain in South Kivu and Tanganyika in DRCongo. Increased productivity, sustainable production and high-quality local rice are creating new business opportunities for farmers and young people.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Resilient rice actors for healthier urban rice in Benin

The resilience of the Beninese rice sector is at stake due to the severe impacts of climate change and its still weak commercial performance on local markets. In consortium with the National Consultative Council of Rice Farmers of Benin (CCR-B) Rikolto is implementing interventions to "Strengthen the resilience of actors against climate change in the rice sector in Benin and sustainably supply cities with healthy rice" as part of a larger programme (DEFIA - Development of Entrepreneurship in Agricultural Sectors, implemented by Enabel with DGD grants.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Burkinabe women design an innovative, sustainable business model

Franchising allows them to improve the quality of home-parboiled rice, and sell it at a higher price
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

A way towards a living income for Ghanaian cocoa farmers

Lidl joins forces with Rikolto, Fairtrade and Kuapa Kokoo to produce and sell Way2Go: a chocolate bar that is 100% sustainable across the supply chain.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Generation Food goes international

A young community of innovators wants to give their peers a sustainable future through inclusive businesses in food systems.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

A sustainable and inclusive rice sector in Vietnam

Rikolto implements a five-year project (2022-2026) funded by the Directorate-General for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid (DGD), working closely with a wide range of stakeholders including farmers, cooperatives, the private sector, government and researchers, to address current challenges and facilitate a transition towards long-term resilience, inclusion and sustainability in the rice sector.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Carbon credits at the service of farmers: piloting innovation

Led by Carbon Farm and in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), we're piloting a model to reduce barriers to using carbon credits to finance and accelerate Vietnam's transition to sustainable rice.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Good food at school in Belgium

A healthy diet at school is essential for the health and development of children and adolescents. In Belgium, our approach focuses on schools in Leuven, Ghent and Antwerp, where we work with students, teachers, parents, management, kitchen staff... around nutrition.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

SchoolFood4Change in Europe

The European SchoolFood4Change project (SF4C), funded by Horizon 2020, aims to make sustainable and healthy food in schools the norm.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Carbon farmers in Belgium

Over the next five years, fifteen farmers will be trained to become 'carbon farmers'. The ultimate goal? To establish a carbon farming model for farmers in Belgium to ensure carbon sequestration.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Superlist: nudging supermarkets to make sustainable food the norm

We examine the efforts of Belgian and European supermarkets to make the food system more sustainable. We share these research results with citizens, policy makers, civil society and the food sector. That is how we encourage supermarkets to take up their social responsibility. Superlist is a collaboration with the Dutch think tank Questionmark.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Digital solutions for efficient management of rice commercialisation in Senegal

FEPROBA, the Federation of Farmers in the Anambe Basin, decided to test digital solutions to increase farmers’ statistical skills. The solutions were essential for the development of an effective rice commercialisation strategy, and to negotiate effectively with customers.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Sustainable water management for resilient communities in rural Tanzania

Despite having an ideal climate and soil for agriculture, farmers in the Meru and Rungwe districts of Tanzania are struggling to realise their potential due to the effects of climate change, water scarcity, and socio-economic factors. Don't miss out on this inspiring project of resilience and innovation.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Building sustainable and resilient 'Food Hubs' in Lima and Quito

Everyone has the right to healthy, sustainable and culturally appropriate food. Yet many people still can't call this their reality. Rikolto and a consortium of organisations, Ecosad, the FUNSAD Foundation and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) are working to change this through a participatory and collaborative research project. Their objective is to explore the potential of 'food hubs' or 'neighbourhoods' in creating resilient urban food systems in Quito and Lima.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Transforming Northern Uganda into a regional food basket

Empowering smallholder farmers of rice, cassava and soybean to transform Northern Uganda into a food basket for Uganda and its neighbouring countries.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Good Food for the city of Arusha

Together with the city council, Rikolto will support initiatives to increase food safety in grains and horticulture sectors, leading to better market opportunities for the farmers and healthier food for the people in and around Arusha.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

GoodFood@School in Hanoi

Through the GoodFood@School initiative in Hanoi, Rikolto is focusing on raising awareness, knowledge and practices of healthy, sustainable, and nutritious (HSN) food. The aim is to create a healthy food school environment and empower the next generation to make informed and responsible food choices!
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Generation Food: transforming Ouagadougou's food system

Setting up their own enterprises to produce, process or package food in a sustainable way can provide young Burkinabe with a decent income, while also tackling key issues related to the sustainability of our food system. They bring a breath of fresh air to the local food system.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

GoodFood@School for Belgian pupils

Healthy and sustainable food for every child, at every school. From class to canteen.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Sustainable and inclusive rice in Vietnam

Working together with farmer organisations, authorities and businesses to mainstream inclusive business practices for sustainable rice across the Vietnamese rice sector.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

CREA: fair and sustainable products from Ecuador for the European market

The CREA project promotes strategies to strengthen and improve the sustainability, competitiveness, innovation and integration in the European market of micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) and organisations of Ecuadorian producers, generating income and employment and promoting the inclusion of young people and women.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Good food for the Green City in Tanzania

Mbeya, the biggest urban centre in the Southern Highlands of Tanzania, faces several challenges in providing safe and nutritious food to its citizens. Discover the bountiful harvest of an innovative and collaborative effort to address those issues.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Inclusive & future-proof vegetable and fruit businesses in Tanzania’s Southern Highlands

Building an inclusive and competitive fruit and vegetable sector in Tanzania that supports farmers and contributes to job creation and food and nutrition security.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

A new generation of Ivorian entrepreneurs and cocoa farmers

Supporting a new generation of cocoa entrepreneurs and producers in Côte d’Ivoire to reach their full potential and have a positive impact on their communities.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Affordable quality food for Quito's consumers

Ecuador’s rich cuisine owes its diversity to the country’s varying altitudes of specific geographic zones and its associated agricultural conditions. The growing population worldwide and in Ecuador as well, urges for future solutions to feed people quality and affordable food, especially urban consumers. City policies can offer opportunities for farmers and push food production and consumption towards more sustainability.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

"Innovamos": Harvesting knowledge in Central America

The collaboration between 21 farmer organisations, 3 universities and research centres from Central America and Belgium aims to develop innovations that respond to key challenges in the horticultural sectors of Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Taking Ivorian cocoa to the higher level

Colruyt Group and Rikolto collaborate with Ivorian cooperative Entreprise Cooperative de Saint Paul, Fairtrade Belgium, the chocolate processor Puratos and UGent to make Colruyt Group's private label chocolate sustainable from bean to shelve.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Tanzanian hortipreneurs: a new generation

Supporting youth- and women-led businesses to improve inclusion in the food system.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

I am more than my receipt

A civic movement in Belgium to make sustainable food the new normal in supermarkets
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

West African rice farmers reconquering the local rice market

Rice farmers' organisations in Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal are improving their competitiveness and their relations with the private and public sectors to win back larger shares of the rice market in West Africa.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Participatory Guarantee Systems for safe vegetables in Vietnam

PGS is a reliable and affordable quality assurance mechanism that enables farmers to increase their income while helping build consumers’ trust in their food.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Constructing Kampala’s pathway to becoming a Food Smart City

Building Kampala's future as a sustainable and inclusive food system
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

High quality Peruvian cocoa for fine chocolates

We professionalise producer organisations, working hand in hand with young people in rural areas. We also establish inclusive business links with cocoa companies, and focus on bringing more collaboration into the country's cocoa sector.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Rice farmers' organisations gain access to a significant share of institutional markets

National rice farmers' organisations in Mali and Burkina Faso are supplying schools and public institutions with sustainable, high-quality rice, creating new local synergies that benefit farmers and consumers alike, and lobbying governments to formalise institutional market exchanges.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Uganda and Tanzania transforming the horticulture sector through inclusive business models

Horticulture is one of the few opportunities for small scale farmers to find a route out of poverty, Rikolto currently is working in Uganda and Tanzania with over 3,000 horticulture farmers to support inclusive business development to unveil their potential to transform the sector towards sustainability.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Coffee and Climate: climate-smart solutions for coffee farmers

A climate-smart coffee involving the whole value chain
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Unlocking the power of young cocoa farmers in Nicaragua and Honduras

Helping young people to find stable employment and income, halting rural-urban migration and boosting local economies.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Hydroponics and greenhouses: a hope for Honduras

Through Eurosan Occidente, Rikolto is developing the initiative "Technology and dialogue of knowledge to promote food and nutritional security in Honduras", through which hydroponic systems will be installed in greenhouses to increase the production of healthy vegetables within family agriculture.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Towards a safe and sustainable food system in Da Nang

Rikolto works with the city of Da Nang, to increase consumers’ access to safe food and promote the use of sustainable production techniques to ensure a more sustainable and inclusive food system in Vietnam.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Living incomes from cocoa and coffee in Latin America

Inclusive business and sustainable agribusiness with resilient crops, providing decent incomes for entrepreneurs and producing families in Ecuador, Honduras, Guatemala and Peru.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

More coffee, less CO2: towards a carbon-neutral coffee in Ecuador and Peru

Carbon-neutral coffee production in agroforestry systems in Ecuador and Peru.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

A new generation of cocoa producers in Central America

Young people of Nicaragua and Honduras focus on sustainable cocoa and turn it into a profitable business.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

The unique varieties of Flores coffee

Rikolto promotes a profitable coffee business with added value for Flores coffee farmers and an open and fair coffee value chain.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Peruvian coffee, among the best of South America

Peruvian coffee is renowned for its quality and aroma; as such it occupies a special place on national and international markets.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Ecuadorian coffee - adding flavour to the national economy

Coffee is one of the products of the Ecuadorian economy that benefits rural families.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Strengthening the cocoa sector in Ecuador

We support rural families to improve the sustainability of their farms, and link producer organisations with rewarding export markets.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Generation Food: helping young Belgian entrepreneurs solve food-related problems

A new movement stimulates innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture and food.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Sustainability as the key to strong and competitive rice markets in Tanzania and Uganda

Significant business opportunities remain for rice farmers. Future investments must enable smallholder farmers and processors to build their businesses in a sustainable way and to acquire new skills.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Rice farmers in Iringa step up their climate smart agriculture game

Climate change is a challenge for farmers around the world. This is no different for rice farmers in Iringa, Tanzania. Climate smart agriculture is the future; it is sustainable and profitable.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Congolese rice farmers conquer the local market

Eight rice cooperatives in the Ruzizi valley join forces and win the hearts of beer and rice fans.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Wanted: Food for the Future [completed]

A unique project in which the Belgian Province of Flemish Brabant, Rikolto, retailer Colruyt Group and the University of Leuven together with young people, experts, farmers, etc. look for ways to feed the growing global population in a sustainable way.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Harvesting knowledge on cocoa in Central America

Increasing the competitiveness and sustainability of the regional cocoa sector through incidence in national an regional policies, and promoting knowledge management.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Sustainable production can save a lake in Nicaragua

Farmers, fishermen, actors in tourism and energy sector work together to find solutions to alleviate the ever-growing pressure on lake Apanás.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Speciality coffee from Kivu and Ituri, DRC

Small-scale coffee farmers prepare to export high quality organic Arabica coffee.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Promoting sustainable and inclusive rice value chain in Indonesia

Empowering Javanese smallholder rice farmers to improve their businesses through sustainable rice cultivation.
Updated on:
January 16, 2024

Generation Food: Youth as innovators of Uganda's food systems

Changing an unsustainable and exclusive food system into an innovative, sustainable and inclusive one driven by youth to build a strong and resilient Mbale and Gulu.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Robin Food transforms food surpluses into healthy products for vulnerable families

We develop business models that make the products accessible for vulnerable groups and offer a viable business to the companies that produce them.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023

Bananas from Senegal

Senegalese farmers grow quality bananas, ready for local and export markets.
Updated on:
August 23, 2023