Saturday 8th May was World Fair Trade Day, and the World Fair Trade Organization promoted the message to 'build back fairer', following the disruption caused by Covid-19. For Shared Interest, it also provides a valuable opportunity to reflect on the vital role farmers and workers play in providing the food we eat. Here, Shared Interest Managing Director Patricia Alexander shares why this is the case
Shared Interest has over 10,000 members in the UK. Each member’s investment is pooled to provide vital finance to businesses in 51 countries, supporting 352,122 people last year alone. By working together, we can really make a difference. As countries begin to recover from the effects of the pandemic, it is vital that we unite in alleviating the challenges faced by communities in the developing world. By providing access to finance we can help fair trade businesses to create a more stable and sustainable income for farmers. Brazil nut co-operative Candela Peru has used Shared Interest finance for over 20 years, to support communities in the Peruvian Amazon. Candela works with Castañeros – nut gatherers living along the Madre de Dios River in the Peruvian rainforest, which is known for having the greatest diversity of plant and animal species on earth. In 2003, the government granted a 40-year concession to the Castañeros, allowing them to farm the brazil nut trees in clearly defined locations; securing not only livelihoods but the vested interest of the farmers in managing and protecting the rainforest. Candela General Manager Gaston Vizcarra told us recently: “We truly have a unique relationship between our Castañeros and the forest, and Shared Interest helps that relationship to flourish. The rights to harvest the nuts, the finance to pay the farmers, the expertise to create wonderful products, and the routes we now have to market. Every part of the process is crucial, and we depend on each other to keep this circle connected.” Since 2001, Shared Interest has provided Candela with various types of loans, which have contributed to the growth and sustainability of the organisation and impacted positively on the livelihood of brazil nut producers and harvesters, their families and communities. They have also continued to strengthen their range of other native Amazon products – all types of fruit – in order to ensure their sustainability. World Fair Trade Day gives us the opportunity to pause and think about the huge obstacles farmers and workers like Candela Castañeros overcome each day, to provide the food on our tables. The theme of ‘build back fairer’ resonates with the work of Shared Interest. People are at the core of our work – our supporters, our customers, and our team based across three continents. We look forward to working together, to not only build back fairer, but to build back better and stronger so that farmers and artisans across the globe can continue to provide for themselves and their families. In addition to the travel, movement, and health implications imposed by the pandemic, we know the impact of climate change on developing world communities is a huge threat. At government level, there are not the resources to provide grants and funding to cover trade losses, and at grassroots level, people do not earn enough to cover their basic needs. Shared Interest exists to provide financial support so that more people can earn a fair living, and in turn afford the health and education support that their families deserve. We believe that trade justice should be a reality for all communities, and by supporting fair trade producers, we can help ensure that the people who provide the large majority of our food, receive the price they have earned in return.”
