Author Archive
Panorama: Chocolate – The Bitter Truth
Panorama: Chocolate – The Bitter Truth As Easter approaches and sales of chocolate increase, so does concern about the ongoing problem of child labour in the cocoa industry. Recent programs in Switzerland, Germany and Denmark have taken a closer look at the cocoa industry and where our chocolate comes from. On 24 March, the BBC [...]
People with Pens have Power
It is great to see Shared Interest investors getting onto their soapboxes to wax lyrical about the power of social return. Scanning today’s letters page in the Guardian, we spotted Jake Bachus’ response to an article highlighting the benefits of trade versus aid. We are always hot on the heels to join this topic of debate [...]
Daisy Chain Reaction: we’re green with ethics
At Shared Interest we are definitely of the ‘share and share alike’ mentality (guess we’d have problems with our name otherwise!) which is a fundamental part of fair trade. Sharing skills and resources is vital to the businesses we lend to in the developing world but perhaps it is almost as important here; plus it [...]
Turning a Bike Tyre into a Belt? I have to Hand it to Otesha
When I was asked to write something on Shared Interest for the Otesha Handbook, I must admit I wasn’t feeling ultra inspired. Nothing against directories and handbooks you understand, but as we try and have a presence in as many relevant tomes as possible, it can become a bit banal after a while. But (and [...]
Is eating chocolate ever entirely guilt-free?!
I read in the Scotsman over the weekend that a group of city businesswomen have raised awareness of Fairtrade chocolate by eating as much of it as possible. Around 70 women were involved in Saturday’s party at a member of Edinburgh’s Soroptimist organisation, which formed part of a worldwide initiative to draw attention to the [...]