KarunaNews Story

Shared Interest is a UK-based social lender that supports farmers and handcraft producers in 47 countries around the world, providing finance for smallholder communities that collectively provide around a third of the world’s food but are often stuck in cycles of poverty. For Fairtrade certified producers – who must form co-operatives in order to become certified – the extra sum to help improve producers’ quality of life might go towards new schools or clean water infrastructure, explains Patricia Alexander, Shared Interest’s managing director. Uganda-based coffee producer Bukonzo Organic Farmers Cooperative Union, a second level co-operative, negotiates prices, undertakes marketing and manages export on behalf of 13 smaller primary co-ops. This tiered system is crucial for small-scale farmers who don’t speak English or have the negotiating skills necessary to secure a good price, says Alexander.