The impact of ethical investment: stories of growth and opportunity from the UK to Nicaragua

Shared Interest lends finance to co-operatives and small-to-medium sized businesses to support their journey to becoming strong, sustainable and resilient. This finance, provided by a movement of committed members seeking to do good with their money, leads to prospering farming and artisan communities. 

In 2015, Shared Interest began creating in depth studies of selected customers and project participants on an annual basis. 

These case studies are primarily intended to demonstrate two levels of impact: that of our financial support to producer organisations, and the wider impact on the livelihoods of the smallholder farmers or artisans they serve. 

We situate this impact within the broader context of the country and value chain, to illustrate how these businesses, end-buyers and social financiers like Shared Interest work together to grow rural prosperity for smallholder producers and their communities.

Marking ten years of Impact Studies at Shared Interest

Cooperativa de Servicios Múltiples Sacacli R.L. (Sacaclí) is a unique, multi-service coffee producer supporting 465 farmers in Jinotega, with training, stable incomes and access to market. 

Sacaclí was founded in 1994 by 31 farmers, united in their vision of creating a better future for their farming community.

Since 2018, our support has enabled Sacaclí to procure coffee contracts and facilitate business growth.

Alexander Cruz, General Manager of Sacaclí, told us: 

“The relationship between Cooperativa Sacaclí and Shared Interest has been fundamental for the development of our organisation."

Liberation is one of Shared Interest’s longest-standing customers. Established in 2007, the business was founded on a different way of trading: one where farmers have a voice at the table, not just a product on the shelf.

Unlike most of our customers, Liberation is not a producer, but a buyer – a company that purchases directly from smallholder co-operatives and exports goods such as nuts, dried fruit and sesame oil to retailers and wholesalers around the world. Importantly, they also access markets that Shared Interest cannot currently serve due to legal and regulatory barriers, such as parts of Asia.

Shared Interest has supported Liberation with Buyer Credit since 2007, helping the organisation to grow and build lasting relationships with producer organisations across Africa, Asia and Latin America. 

As Managing Director Dan Binks explains:

“The co-operative gets the money that they need to buy the crop. And the co-operative gets that at the time that they need it.”