Rikolto in Indonesia

Rikolto in Indonesia started in Flores 1960 under the name Florescommittee, established by a Belgium missionary, Pater Rene Daem. Iin 1973, he changed it to “Vereniging Zonder Winstoogmerk” or VZW, . As the VZW Floresvrienden grew bigger and established a better relationship with international donors; it transformed into Flemish Organisation for Assistance in Development. In 2001, three Belgian development organisations: Vredeseilanden, FADO and COOPIBO merged into one organisation under the name VECO (VredesEilanden Country Office). By October 16, 2017, VECO Indonesia officially replaced its name to Rikolto that means Harvest in Esperanto. Over four decades, this organisation has been working on several focused-topics such as Low External Input Sustainable Agriculture (LEISA), Sustainable Agriculture Chain Development (SACD), Inclusive Business, and Inclusive and Sustainable Food System. Rikolto believes family farms are part of the solution. They produce 70% of our food worldwide, but individually they're often cut out of the trade, ending up in poverty and leaving their potential untapped. Global change demands that food markets become more inclusive and offer value to all actors in the food chain. Small farmers must be offered a fair deal. A sustainable income for farmers and nutritious, affordable food for everyone: this is what Rikolto works for. We empower farmer groups to become solid business partners and implement future-proof, sustainable practices. We support them so that their products meet quality standards. We connect them with innovators in the industry to explore new ways of doing business. To change the recipe of our food system, Rikolto builds bridges of trust and trade, between the food industry, governments, research institutions, banks and farmer organisations around this key question: ‘What will we eat tomorrow?’. We plant and harvest new solutions, making the food system more transparent, so consumers are able to make a sustainable choice.