Sourcery Joins Forces with Social Enterprise Rizq to Pilot Impact and Assurance Programme in Pakistan and Promote Regenerative Cotton Farming
[Amsterdam, 26.03.2024] – Sourcery announced today its partnership with Rizq, a social enterprise in Pakistan that is focused on food security and sustainable futures for small-holder farmers. Together, they will onboard approximately 500 cotton farmers into Sourcery's Direct- to-GrowerTM Programme. This partnership will allow Sourcery to pilot its Impact and Assurance Programme in Pakistan, which will empower Rizq farmers to earn additional income by collecting and selling primary data through the Sourcery Connect App.
Rizq will be an Agronomic Partner in the first cotton season and will later establish a for-profit entity to be enrolled in the Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme as an official Grower Partner. This move will help Sourcery collect baseline farmer data and develop solutions to challenges such as limited access to smartphones on the ground. Sourcery will also provide training for regenerative practices and data collection and establish monitoring processes for Rizq staff. By doing so, Rizq will have a significant impact on sustainable farming practices and the well- being of farmers across Pakistan.
"Through our partnership with Sourcery, we are thrilled to transform Pakistan's agriculture landscape by ensuring premium prices for smallholder farmers committed to sustainability. Sourcery's expertise in fostering transparent, and fair transactions aligns seamlessly with Rizq's strength in cultivating a robust network of smallholder farmers. This data-driven collaboration circles back, creating enhanced livelihood opportunities for millions of small farmers, ensuring equitable value chains.", said Qasim Javaid, CEO and Co-Founder of Rizq.
This partnership was initiated through the donations Sourcery had collected for the devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022. Sourcery sought a trusted partner that met the transparency, integrity and impact requirements to invest in and establish a regenerative cotton program in Pakistan that would support growers in rebuilding and sustaining their livelihoods in this climate-changing world. Therefore, Sourcery reallocated the funds to the Rizq project originally intended for another organisation that could not meet the requirements to support Pakistani cotton farmers in a meaningful way. These donations covered the enrollment fees for 500 farmers into the Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme.
“Rizq is following a progressive vision and is aligned with our values as they are dedicated to creating for-profit social enterprises which will create commercial value so that farmers can sustain themselves through their agriculture.”, said Imran Asghar, Managing Director South Asia and Co-Founder of Sourcery. “We believe that this partnership holds great potential for both our organisations and the farming communities in Pakistan. Together, we can make a significant impact on sustainable farming practices and the future of farmers.”
The Impact and Assurance Programme enables unmatched transparency, authenticity, and trust using regional-specific verified primary data that is collected for each individual grower enrolled in Sourcery’s Direct-to-GrowerTM Programme. The Sourcery Connect app, which is the digital nexus of the Programme, is thereby free to all growers, everywhere. Growers can demonstrate their commercial and environmental excellence by collecting and licensing primary data that is third-party verified to Sourcery Partners and third-party entities and receive financial compensation for sharing their data.
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NOTES FOR EDITORS
Learn more about Sourcery’s Impact and Assurance Programme: https://www.thesourcery.io/impact-assurance-programme
For press inquiries or questions, reach out to eva@thesourcery.io
About Rizq:
Rizq is a social enterprise transforming Pakistan’s food security landscape since 2015, by leading food-based innovation, mobilizing communities locally and globally, and leveraging strategic partnerships. With five divisions spanning the food value-chain from farm to fork, Rizq aims to ‘build back better’ Pakistan’s food systems for a more sustainable future for all.
About Sourcery:
Sourcery is a member-driven global sourcing solution that connects brands, manufacturers and growers to secure and transact fibre, yarn and fabric with full transparency, traceability and verified impact. Through their transformative approach to sourcing, called Direct-to- GrowerTM, Sourcery aims to transform trade for good and drive meaningful and measurable commercial and environmental value that has a profound and positive impact from growers to consumers.
