Edelsource
Edelsource: Cocoa buyer in Switzerland
For nearly a decade, Shared Interest has worked alongside Swiss-based buyer Edelsource, helping the business strengthen sustainable agricultural supply chains and extend its impact in farming communities across Africa and Latin America.
Image: Bundibugyo, Uganda, where Edelsource began its direct engagement at origin with supplier co-operatives and partners in 2013.
About Edelsource
Founded in 2007 and a Shared Interest customer since 2015, Edelsource sources cocoa, coffee, cashew nuts and other agricultural commodities through a network of producer partnerships. The company combines sourcing, logistics, trade finance and sustainability programmes to build transparent, traceable supply chains that create value for farmers, local communities and international customers.
Shared Interest and Edelsource
International trade often requires businesses to make payments long before products reach their final destination. Shared Interest's finance helps Edelsource bridge that gap, enabling the company to make payments toits trading arms. This support has helped establish a platform for long-term growth and expansion.
Despite facing significant challenges in recent years, including disruption to global freight markets, inflationary pressures and increased financial risk within international supply chains, Edelsource has continued to achieve strong results.
The impact of your ethical investment
Chief Financial Officer, Aurelien Boulet, said:
"The loan from Shared Interest is targeted at our origin operation - specifically in Democratic of Congo, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Togo, Cameroon and Peru - and has been instrumental in our ability to support our partner co-operatives and farmers.
"Access to flexible, values-aligned trade finance has allowed us to pay producers fairly and on time, expand our sourcing footprint responsibly, and invest in the long-term resilience of the value chains we are a part of.
"Finance isn't just a transaction for us - it's an enabler of the sustainable supply chains we're trying to build."
Image: Cashew farmers from the Good Heart Cooperative in Sierra Leone, which benefitted from Edelsource's TRUST Cashew Project with governance and Fairtrade sensitisation activities.
Supporting sustainable cocoa supply chains
The business has recorded historically high levels of performance, with sales increasing year after year. As the company grows, so too does its ability to support producers and invest in the communities where it operates. Edelsource's impact extends far beyond commodity sourcing. Working through local subsidiaries and partner co-operatives, the company supports producers through fair pricing, training and community development initiatives.
Dedicated sustainability staff work alongside farming communities to implement programmes designed to improve livelihoods and strengthen resilience. In 2021 alone, more than €2 million was distributed directly to 14,468 co-operative members in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
Overall, €7.72 million in premiums reached farmers during the year, helping to fund community projects and provide direct financial benefits to families. A portion of these funds has been invested in projects that help communities diversify their sources of income. In Méagui, Côte d'Ivoire, a diversification centre was established, with plans to expand into beekeeping. By creating additional income streams, farmers are better equipped to withstand fluctuations in cocoa prices and other economic shocks.
Sustainable agriculture is another key focus of Edelsource's work. Through partnerships with co-operatives, the company provides training in cocoa cultivation, agroforestry and Good Agricultural Practices. Much of this learning takes place on demonstration plots, where farmers can see techniques in action and share knowledge with one another.
In 2021, 161 demonstration plots were established across partner communities, creating valuable spaces for learning and collaboration. By improving farming practices, producers can increase productivity, protect natural resources and strengthen the long-term sustainability of their businesses.
Sustainability Director, Renzo Verne, said:
"Sustainable supply chains are the core operations at Edelsource. We will keep strengthening what we already do: deepening traceability, staying ahead of regulations like the EUDR and implementing supply chains that deliver living income premiums directly to farmers. From this base, we're looking at how we can invest further in the origin countries we're anchored in, so that more value is created - and stays - where it's grown."
Honorat Damon, Managing Director at Africa Trade Winds, a producer partner of Edelsource, based in Uganda, said:
"Access to fair, timely capital is one of the most powerful tools we have for building resilience among the farmers we work with.
Too often, producers are forced to turn to local moneylenders charging exploitative rates just to bridge the gap between harvest and payment. The faster and more transparently we can get farmers paid, the more they can invest in their farms, their households, and their futures.
That's why building efficient, trustworthy payment systems isn't just good business for Edelsource - it's one of the most direct ways we can support the resilience of farming communities."
Image: Edelsource in Uganda with Africa Trade Winds.
Improving incomes, training, infrastructure and resilience
Alongside economic development, Edelsource is investing in social projects that address some of the challenges faced by rural communities. To date, the company has supported the construction of 19 schools and the installation of eight water pumps, helping improve access to education and clean water. Through Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation Systems (CLMRS), Edelsource has also reported dramatic reductions in child labour within communities where new schools have been established.
Edelsource places particular emphasis on supporting women and creating opportunities for groups that have traditionally had less access to resources and economic opportunities. These initiatives demonstrate how responsible businesses can create impact that extends well beyond the supply chain itself.
Shared Interest finance enables Edelsource to maintain trading relationships, expand into new markets and strengthen opportunities for thousands of farmers. At the same time, farmers and their communities benefit from increased income, improved training, better infrastructure and greater resilience for the future.
Our members' ethical investments make our vital work possible. You can find Edelsource among other inspiring stories from organisations we support across the globe in QR 141.
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