Ecosystem Project

Arising out of a KTA-facilitated network named La Red Solidaria de Mujeres en Agricultura, Fondo Solidario is an innovative revolving loan fund pilot developed to enhance the economic resilience of Latina farmers. As an equitable lending initiative, Fondo Solidario combines economic solidarity with community-led governance to create a space for Latina leadership and decision-making to thrive. Fondo Solidario manages a 0% interest loan fund designed with flexibility to support applicants as they respond to emergent as well as seasonal business needs, offering repayment terms tailored to agricultural cycles. 

Led by the same farmers it serves, Fondo Solidario is governed through a decision-making structure that prioritizes inclusivity, trust, and reflects women’s lived experiences. In addition to eligibility for loans, participants in Fondo Solidario gain skills in business management and financial planning, and hold active roles in advisory and governance councils. Historically, Latina farmers have faced numerous systemic barriers in accessing traditional capital, such as discrimination in lending practices, lack of collateral, limited access to credit resources, language barriers, and more. Fondo Solidario actively dismantles these barriers by creating a space for Latina farmers to build connective networks across economic, political, and social contexts.

Ecosystem Building Snapshot: 2025

As the project has evolved, several key partners have collaborated with and supported Fondo Solidario, including KTA, Common Future, The People’s Land Fund, and Manzanita Capital Collective. The project started in 2022 with KTA Associate Regional Program Director Tania Zuñiga and Mariela Cedeño of Manzanita Capital Collective helping the women of Fondo Solidario assemble their leadership structure, establish key relationships with community partners, and set up their governance framework. As Fondo Solidario evolved, KTA has provided support through fundraising, hosting resource-sharing workshops, and organizing farmers to drive its growth and sustainability. Manzanita Capital Collective has continued to focus on fundraising, cultivating community connections, and developing Fondo’s structure. Simultaneously, Common Future’s Community Credit Lab has provided critical support as the project’s back office service provider since 2024 while The People’s Land Fund, who provided back office services for the project prior to Common Future, helped manage stipends for participating farmers.

In 2025, KTA and program partners are assessing Fondo Solidario for success and replicability, informing strategies to scale community-centered lending programs and integrate sustainable financing solutions into agriculture.