By Kerrey Baker, Managing Director, Shared Interest.
In recent months, I have written about the importance of aligning profit with purpose, and the impact that ethical investment can have when guided by values.
This month, I want to focus on one of those values in more detail – fairness – and how it shapes every part of our work at Shared Interest.
Fairness is a word often used in business – in pricing, in pay, in partnerships. But what does it really mean when it comes to finance? In our case, it means making decisions that serve both the people we invest in and the people who invest in us. It means ensuring that money is used not just to grow wealth, but to build equity – the kind that creates opportunity for those who need it most.
We work with fair trade organisations across the world – businesses that are often excluded from traditional finance because they operate in rural areas, lack collateral, or work in sectors deemed too risky. But these are the very businesses that hold communities together. They provide jobs, support women’s leadership, and ensure producers receive fair prices for their goods. Without access to finance, many of them would be unable to trade – not because they are not viable, but because the system is not fair.
Shared Interest exists to change that. Based in Newcastle, we use investment from individuals across the UK to offer fair finance to organisations that need it most. Our lending is built on long-term relationships, not short-term gain – and always aims to support trade on terms that empower producers.
This could mean helping a cocoa cooperative in Ivory Coast pay farmers on time or supporting a women-led honey business in Kenya to buy equipment and expand. It could mean providing funds in local currency to reduce exchange rate losses or offering flexible repayment terms when harvests are delayed by climate change.
Fairness also applies to our investors. Our members choose to accept a modest return so that their money can be used to help others thrive. In return, we offer transparency, regular reporting, and the reassurance that their investment is creating genuine, measurable impact.
Fair finance is not just a nice idea – it is a necessary one. In an unequal global economy, it offers a practical way to shift power, support dignity, and make trade work for everyone involved.
Because when finance is fair, everyone benefits.
Invest in change at www.shared-interest.com