Quality and Quantity for Pangoa

A Peruvian coffee and cocoa co-operative that is succeeding in the face of adversity – thanks in part to help from Shared Interest – is Pangoa. As is the case with some of our other customers, Pangoa also has access to funds from other social lenders however, they are anticipating a rise in sales and as a result are looking to work with Shared Interest to help them meet demand. Luis Silva, Chairman of the co-operative said: “For us, it is an enormous satisfaction to have obtained this line of credit.”

Terrorism in the early 1990s led to nationwide problems for the rural area as many potential farmers fled to the cities. Pangoa was particularly vulnerable as the areas around it were rich in coca plants. Migration to the cities led to a decreased workforce, which meant that the coffee and cocoa couldn’t be properly harvested, resulting in decreased sales and a loss of contracts. As the problems associated with terrorism began to decrease, the cooperative realised that in order to be successful they needed to divert their focus from local to international markets. As they lacked experience and contacts with international buyers, initial exports were made through Coinca, a national coffee exporter.

As the co-operative developed they realised that quality was as, if not more, important than quantity. As a result in 2007 they launched a production improvement project which included advice on fertilisers, technical assistance to members as well as training and capacity development. In addition to this, thanks to the Fairtrade Premium, they were able to start health and education programmes with the members and their families. To increase production further the co-operative also invested in humid and dry mill plants as well as vehicles to transport coffee and cocoa.

Social impact has always been important to Pangoa. In 1993, after recognising that the district lacked the electrical capacity for normal operation of the business, the members decided to build a hydroelectric generator facility. They set up a new company named, Egepsa. This organisation is a completely separate entity but it is owned by Pangoa. Every farmer offered the weight of two quintals of coffee as initial investment and additional funds from the Government were obtained in 1994 to finish the project. Since then, that plant has provided electricity to the co-operative and the nearby regions. Pangoa have maintained this dedication to social impact by providing intensive training programmes for farmers as well as credit systems, tools and materials to help with production and housing schemes amongst many other projects, all of which aim to improve the living and working conditions for the co-operative’s members and their families.

Thanks to finance from Shared Interest, Pangoa will be able to continue positively impacting the development of the local community. Efrain Arcos, Secretary of Pangoa said: “As farmer and member of this co-operative, I am very happy and I feel encouraged to continue working having received this vote of confidence from Shared Interest, it is an incentive to all of us.”

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Mexican coffee farmer at work in the fields

Chocolate is Leading the Way

As the second largest producer of coca in the world, Peru has a long and violent history of drug production and trafficking. Thanks to the United Nation’s Alternative Development Programme (ADP) which works closely with the Government and farmers to provide viable alternatives to coca bush cultivation, the San Martín region of Peru has made the move into cacao production and as a result cacao exports are now up 400%, putting Peru close to the top ten biggest producers in the world.

A great example of a recent success story is one of Shared Interest’s customers, Tocache, who have emerged victorious from Salon du Chocolat in Paris. This prestigious annual summit of the world’s master choclatiers, saw the small cocoa co-operative’s produce named the most aromatic in the world. Elena Rios, secretary of Tocache said: “The area used to be known for making cocaine paste, but now we are known for chocolate.” Elena gave up growing coca leaves 10 years ago, opting to take part in a program to replace her plants with cacao. “There were only 12 of us when we started; now we have hundreds. Our success is contagious. No one wants to grow coca. Everyone is thinking about chocolate.”

Acropargo Team

Elsewhere in the region, Acopagro, Peru’s main cacao exporter continues to thrive. Established in 1997 under the ADP, the organisation now boasts over 1,500 members. General Manager, Gonzola Rios who has been with the co-operative since the beginning says of the cacao producers “Acopagro is a big family, not just a co-operative.” As a result the co-operative has been developing and implementing a variety of different social, environmental and economic projects with the aim of improving the quality of life of their farmers as well as the future of the business. Perhaps most impressive is the Carbon Capture Programme. The scheme currently has over 600 participants and for every tree the farmers plant on their land, they receive 30 cents. The key objectives of the program are to diminish the effects of global warming, protect biodiversity in the region and to generate a sustainable income for the co-operatives’ members for the future.

In addition to the Carbon Capture Program, the co-operative also works with its members to ensure that the right training and financial support are available. Similarly the co-operative encourages diversification and the conservation of ecosystems, including soil erosion and water management schemes. All of this will help to improve the living conditions of members and protect their livelihoods for future generations.

Whilst San Martín still has some coca, cacao farms are taking hold. The U.N Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) talks about a “San Martín Model” as a success story for replacing coca with legal crops, saying: “Chocolate is leading the way and we are proud to see our customers at the forefront of this movement.”

Cocoa Beans

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Discover your Inner Designer

As its London Fashion Week we thought we would remind all you budding fashionists that there is still time to enter our Fairtrade Fortnight schools competition.

Hopefully those of you in the North East will have heard about the competition on Real Radio (100-102FM) who is collaborating with us and Newcastle City Council on the project.

We are asking teachers to help us get classmates together and show us what Fairtrade means to them by designing a T-shirt. All you need to do is download the template off the website, scan in the designs and upload them using the form provided. We will be updating our blog with all the latest entries and you can also check them out on Real Radio’s website.

The winning class will see their designs professionally made and get their own private viewing at the cinema, celebrity style! Full details on how to enter can be found on the Real Radio website.

Even if you aren’t involved with a school in any way, don’t forget that from Monday 28th February to Sunday 13th March it’s Fairtrade Fortnight. You may remember last year’s Big Swap campaign which saw the UK swap one million household items for their Fairtrade alternatives. This year’s theme is Show Off Your Label so don’t forget to tell your friends and family about your Fairtrade purchases and most importantly let them know about Shared Interest!

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

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Pineapple expert visits Shared Interest

Earlier this year Shared Interest loaned money to Bio-Exotica, a Ghanaian pineapple producer, for the purchase of some much-needed equipment; which will enhance both their sustainability and their social impact. Henk visited Bio Exotica and was impressed by the support Shared Interest gives.

Henk with Bio Exotica staff

Bio Exotica, established in 2003, is the sole employer in the Asegya area, providing work for more than 100 field workers and other staff. They also play an active social role in the local community and have founded one modern primary school and renovated another. They have also brought roads and electricity to the area.

The organisation aims to provide assured employment for workers and the transfer of knowledge to local famers. Additionally, they aim to improve the living conditions of their community by contributing to employment, education and the development of local infrastructure.

Henk talked about the challenges Bio-Exotica has faced including how the transportation of pineapples with an old truck meant that they couldn’t keep the pineapples at the right temperature for their customers. A loan from Shared Interest helped them to purchase a refrigerated truck which solved the problem.

Bio Exotica Truck purchased with a loan from Shared Interest

Whilst here, Henk shared some interesting pineapple facts with the team:

How long does it take for a Pineapple grow? 18 months

How many days after flowering can we harvest? 138-144 days

What is the season for Pineapples? Always, yearly, 365 days a year

Where can you grow Pineapple the best? 10 ° N and 10 ° S Of the Equator

You can find out more on Bio Exotica by clicking here.

Bio Exotica Pineapple with a special message for Shared Interest

Maria from Shared Interest trying Bio Exotica Pineapple

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

Bean There, Done That, So Much More to Come!

Bean There was established in 2005 as Jonathan Robinson set out to realise his dream of creating the first South African Fairtrade coffee company. Despite the organisation’s humble beginnings – originally operating out of Jonathan’s garage – the business has gone from strength to strength and Jonathan is well on his way to achieving his goal to “become the largest and most influential Fairtrade coffee company in Africa.”

Bean there coffee company

Bean There first contacted Shared Interest in June 2009 as they required reliable, long term access to credit at a reasonable interest rate. In South Africa at this time interest rates were as high as 19%, which placed severe limitations on the development of the organisation. Jonathan explains why: “Unlike local coffee companies who can buy coffee on a bag by bag basis, our commitment to fair trade and to the Fero and Coopac communities requires us to purchase coffee upfront in a 12 month cycle. As a small and growing company this puts severe strain on our cash flow and leaves us with very few options for finance. Shared Interest makes our commitment to fair trade possible, and for that we are extremely grateful. We see Shared Interest as not just a financier but a partner in our fair trade model.”

Bean There is completely committed to the principles of fair trade and has incorporated these into the business plan from the very beginning. Jonathan’s personal story is incredibly interesting and shows how personal commitment to fair trade can have a huge effect of the development of the movement.

Jonathan started working life in the IT industry working for IBM and then Dimension Data. When the stock market crashed in 2001 he decided it was a good time to take a gap year, backpacking with his wife throughout the USA, Canada and Europe. Whilst travelling Jonathan met
the founder of Levelground Trading, a fair trade company based on Vancouver Island in Canada. Jonathan states: “I fell in the love with the direct fair trade model and decided to replicate his model in South Africa with a specific African focus. To me the fair trade model, if applied correctly, has such potential to change lives and the resulting shift from aid to trade is a real answer to poverty alleviation in Africa.”

Since this original idea, Bean There has had what Jonathan claims as “a great ride” and have so far managed to grow 100% year on year, which is growth they plan to continue with the help of Shared Interest.

Bean There work with two FLO certified producers, Fero-Coop in Ethiopia and Coopac in Rwanda. Ethiopia was their first origin and continues to be their most popular coffee. Through purchases at Fero-Coop, Bean There is supporting over 3,000 farmers and a greater community of 27,000 individuals. As this relationship continues to grow Jonathan claims: “We are excited about the increased impact our growth will have on this community and look forward to looking at other creative ways of assisting our producers.”

Coopac in Rwanda has over 2,200 members; after a recent visit to the cooperative Jonathan reported that he was “overjoyed to see their shift towards organic practices.”

He continued: “Coffee agronomist Mario Serracin is working with farmers at Coopac, encouraging the use of organic fertilizers and training farmers to produce their own fertilizers through the effective use of coffee pulp.”

Bean There is proud to be the first roaster of certified Fairtrade coffee in South Africa. To Jonathan, fair trade “is something that is part of the Bean There DNA; fair trade for us is not just about how we interact with our producers, but how we treat our suppliers, customers, and staff.

Trading fairly is how we believe business should be conducted and so although we were excited to receive the FLO accreditation, we believe that the action is more important than the label.

It is fantastic to see such positive action and we are delighted to see the first instance of South-South fair trade. South-South shifts the balance of power and dependence to those in emerging economies; a great step forward for Shared Interest customers and the fair trade movement as a whole.“

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

La Siembra

Established in 1999 with the vision to connect southern cocoa and sugar producers with Canadian consumers in a sustainable manner, La Siembra has built a national brand out of their offices in Ottawa of Fair Trade and Organic cocoa, sugar and chocolate products known widely as Cocoa Camino.

They currently have 21 retail products available in over 2000 retail outlets across Canada together with bulk and industrial products sold to cafes, restaurants and industrial manufacturers. Since 2001 they have also sold these products to private label customers in Canada, the United States and internationally.

Shared Interest has worked with La Siembra since 2003. In that period we have seen the facility grow substantially. During this time La Siembra remained grateful to Shared Interest for supporting them financially and they feel that without us they would not be where they are today.

La Siembra’s recent achievements include establishing a direct purchasing relationship for cocoa powder with CONACADO and new producer relationships with El Ceibo, Naranjillo and CEPICAFE. They have also launched a revamped website to better engage their customers and held a national online competition to celebrate and promote World Fair Trade days in collaboration with Mountain Equipment Co-operative and Ten Thousand Villages.

Finally for the second year running they won the WorldBlu ‘Most Democratic Workplace’ award. The award is a groundbreaking global award that shines a spotlight on visionary organisations successfully practicing organisational democracy. The purpose of the award is to honour these champions of freedom in the workplace. The WorldBlu List is comprised of organisations in the for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors that took the WorldBlu Democratic Workplace Scorecard and scored in the top level. The WorldBlu List is a list (instead of a ranking) and is announced annually each April as a part of Democracy in the Workplace Day.

If you wish to discover more about La Siembra please visit their website www.cocoacamino.com

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

Fundación Solidaridad

The recent earthquakes in Chile have naturally caused concern over the welfare of our customers.

Shared Interest has worked with the Chilean handicraft organisation, Fundación Solidaridad since 2001. The company began work as part of COPACHI in 1974, supporting the production and sale of handicrafts made by political prisoners detained in prisons and detention camps under Pinochet.

Since then they have gone on to work with hundreds of Santiago’s poorest community groups, helping those who want to earn a living to alleviate their economic difficulties.

Executive Director, Winnie Lira, has been in touch to share how the earthquake has affected Fundación Solidaridad and the work that they have been doing to support their producers during this time. Winnie said:

“As of today, except in one location where all communications are completely cut off, we have been able to communicate with all producers and have been happily been informed that the only losses sustained by our producer groups have been material ones: fallen walls, lack of water or electricity, shattering of all the windows in their house, and substantial losses of their raw materials. We’re supporting them as much as we can with these matters and everyone continues working

As for us, our lovely old house on Calle Santo Domingo has sustained no structural damage, but all kinds of cracks in the walls have appeared, cornices have fallen off, and parts of the roof have been damaged. It is not as beautiful as it once was, but we are very grateful to be able to continue working in it. We only hope that there are no more aftershocks because with each one there is another crack that expands.

Witnessing so much pain and destruction made all our team at Fundación Solidaridad and producers feel helpless and anxious to do something else. Last week, visiting families who are living in tents in the Plaza Yungay, 500 meters of the Foundation, the children gave us the idea of something we could do. Their little faces of full of grief and bewilderment alongside their parents who can now think only of where they will live and everything they’ve lost, made us realise: children must be able to continue playing.

Today we made the first dispatch of 100 toys for children in Jardín “El Pescador” Coronel, the area hardest hit in the earthquake which is also where “aunties” play with the children because their local park was destroyed.

What makes us happy is that all producers of toys in Santiago we work with the Foundation have come up with dolls, puppets, trucks, clowns, puzzles from the stock they had available. All can share in the joy and be grateful that such toys, which are their means of income for household expenses, have now, in the words of an enterprising woman: “have now given me the greatest satisfaction of my life”. Foundation Solidaridad will also donate part of their stock of toys and pay the packing and transport.

We wanted to share this experience with you as the best way to thank you for your concern and solidarity.”

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

Customer Focus DWP

Shared Interest has worked with German Buyer organisation DWP since 2000. DWP were founded in 1988, and started life in a basement. Since then they have gone on to occupy the rest of their building and perhaps more importantly, to establish cooperative trade relations with more than 50 producer groups in 30 countries.

DWP currently markets around 1,200 products. These include Kenyan carvings, textiles made of organic cotton, coffee and fine chocolate. Their main focus however is mango, every year, 600 tonnes of fresh fruit are processed and imported in the form of dried fruit and puree.

More recently, DWP have been working closely with promoters of organic agriculture, Naturland, with the aim of producing a quality range of organic and fair trade products. Currently this range includes coffee, tea, spices, chocolate, and honey as well as ingredients for their exclusive Asian cuisine.

In addition to commodities, DWP also see the importance of providing a market for fair trade handicrafts and so are continuously looking at new products from fair trade producers.

If you are interested to find out more about DWP, why not have a look at their website www.dwp-rv.de

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

Bananas, Mangoes and Pineapples + Fair Trade = AgroFair

The Netherlands based, AgroFair Europe B.V. is a fresh fruit company, co-owned by farmers in Africa and Latin America. AgroFair introduced the first fair trade fresh fruit into Europe ten years ago and its products are now sold in Europe and the USA. The organisation imported the world’s first fair trade bananas in 1996 and in 2002 became the first to import fair trade mangoes and pineapples.

Shared Interest has worked with AgroFair since 2008. Since then, AgroFair has grown in size and stature as an importer and distributor of organic and fair trade tropical fresh fruit. What makes AgroFair’s way of working unique is its ownership structure. The fruit growers own a 50% stake in the company, they are represented on the board and at annual shareholders’ meetings they also receive a share of profits. AgroFair buys all its products directly from the producers or their organisations, without the intervention of intermediary buyers.

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

Customer Spotlight – Cepicafe Peru

Cepicafe, one of Shared Interest’s most established Peruvian Coffee and Cocoa customers has recently been visited by the famous choclatier – Pierre Marcolini.

Marcolini came in search of Peru´s white gold: the Porcelana variety of cacao, so named for its white-coloured cocoa pod from which the beans are extracted. This delicate strain of cocoa, it is prized for its unique and unmistakable aroma and taste.

As Cepicafe has a strategy of quality, not price – a dedication to producing high quality cacao instead of high volumes of low quality cacao; this visit is a positive step in confirming the success of such a strategy and the dedication the farmers have shown in cultivating such rare strain of cacao in the hope of improving their quality of life.

For his visit, Marcolini was accompanied by French TV channel, Canal 3, who are producing a documentary on the production of chocolate from bean to the edible jewels created by Marcolini. This will be aired in France in the near future.

On a wider scale, Marcolini’s visit will most certainly benefit the entire Peruvian cacao sector as it becomes known worldwide as a quality cacao producer. According to Santiago Paz, Cepicafe’s representative, “this opens the door for other cacao importers who are looking, not for the lowest priced cacao available, but to form economically and socially viable business relations with cacao producers based in equality, transparency and respect”.

Will this chocolate be sold as Fairtrade? We don’t know, however, as one of the aims of the Fairtrade standards is to “facilitate long-term trading partnerships and enable greater producer control over the trading process” (FLO), this visit and interest from Marcolini can certainly be considered a success for all involved.

Click here to learn how you can invest in fair trade.

Click here to donate to the Shared Interest Foundation

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Category Archives: Spotlight on Fairtrade Businesses

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