Ecosystem Project
Fondo Solidario
Focus Area Capital Access
Partners Common Future, Manzanita Capital Collective,
The People’s Land Fund
Location Central Coast
Project Started in 2022
Arising out of a KTA-facilitated network named the Red Solidaria de Mujeres en Agricultura, the Fondo Solidario is an innovative revolving loan fund pilot developed to enhance the economic resilience of Latina farmers. As an equitable lending initiative, the Fondo Solidario combines economic solidarity with community-led governance to create a space for Latina leadership and decision-making to thrive. The Fondo manages a 0% interest loan fund designed with flexibility to support applicants as they respond to emergent needs as well as seasonal business needs, offering flexible repayment terms tailored to agricultural cycles. Over the next two years, the pilot aims to deploy 20 loans annually to support 48 farmers total.
Led by the same farmers it serves, the Fondo is governed through a decision-making structure that prioritizes inclusivity, trust, and reflects women’s lived experiences. In addition to access to loans, participants in the Fondo 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. Additionally, there are often limited spaces in agriculture shaped wholly by their needs and voices. The Fondo actively dismantles these barriers by creating a space for Latina farmers to build connective networks across economic, political, and social contexts. By prioritizing non-extractive lending practices and economic solidarity, the Fondo Solidario presents a model that mitigates existing inequities while building pathways for empowerment and community-led governance.
Ecosystem Building Snapshot: 2025
Several key partners have collaborated with and supported the Fondo Solidario, including Kitchen Table Advisors, Common Future, The People’s Land Fund, and Manzanita Capital Collective. The project started in 2022, with KTA Senior Farm Business Advisor Tania Zuñiga and Mariela Cedeño of Manzanita Capital Collective helping the women of the Fondo assemble their leadership structure, raise capital for the fund, establish key relationships with community partners, and set up their governance framework. As the Fondo has evolved, KTA continues to provide support in fundraising and organizing farmers to support the Fondo’s growth and sustainability. Hosting workshops, networking opportunities, and resource-sharing sessions, KTA is bridging the gap between funders and farmers around capital access. Simultaneously, Common Future has provided critical support as the project’s fiscal sponsor, while The People’s Land Fund helps manage stipends for participating farmers.
In 2025, a few years after the official launch of the pilot, the Fondo Solidario will be assessed for success and replicability, informing strategies to scale community-centered lending programs and integrate sustainable financing solutions into the agricultural sector. This pilot will hopefully serve as a blueprint for community-based lending initiatives that can be adapted to support other under-resourced groups, ultimately contributing to a more equitable and resilient agricultural economy.
