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Solalter

SolAlter, chocolate, coffee, tea, quinoa and sugar, France (buyer)

Founded in 2007, by Ecuadorian born Tomas Landazuri, SolAlter specialises in the import and distribution of Ecuadorian products, including artisan chocolate, coffee, tea, quinoa and sugar. Today they work with over 100 shops across France. 

Providing vital employment opportunities and building strong partnerships with artisans is an important focus for SolAlter. By offering a fair price and increasing their sales in Europe, the organisation aims to provide more work for producers, and encourages the local skills of farmers and artisans. SolAlter buy solely from Gruppo Salinas, and they are responsible for the co-ordination in Ecuador, and exports of products to Europe. 

Shared Interest provided working capital finance in 2016, which allowed SolAlter to make purchases at the right time, manage stock levels more efficiently, and subsequently increase their sales.

SWEET SUCCESS

Chocolate is SolAlter’s best-selling product, and in 2017, they established a new workshop, with the aim of increasing and diversifying production. Prior to this, all chocolate products were created by French artisans, but the new workshop allows SolAlter to transform some of the goods into finished products themselves, starting with the smaller chocolate lines.

ARTISAN CHOCOLATE IS A WINNING BUSINESS

In the future, they plan to improve and create new chocolate products from their new workshop, ultimately increasing their annual sales by 10% and extending their reach across France and Belgium. 

SolAlter is a member of Minga, an association for a fair economy. Minga was founded in 1999 through the Wholesale Importers Initiative, allowing retailers to engage in a fair trading approach internationally and locally. Minga seeks to improve the economic lives and relationships between small producers in South America, and their retail counterparts throughout the world, by promoting fair trade commerce and intercultural education.

You can read more about SolAlter in QR 111.

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