SSNUP and Shared Interest: Together for a fairer future

Launched in 2020, the Smallholder SustaiNability Upscaling Programme aims to improve the resilience and food security of smallholder households through the delivery of investment in agricultural value chains, supporting the well-being of low-income populations.  

Shared Interest and SSNUP 

To achieve its mission, SSNUP co-finances technical assistance projects led by impact investors active in the field, leveraging knowledge and experience to identify producers’ needs and respond with effective, tailored solutions. 

Following Shared Interest’s introduction to SSNUP at a convening of CSAF members in March 2023, we participated in a study commissioned by the programme: ‘Technical Assistance Provided by Impact Investors to Agricultural Value Chain Actors’. 

The following year, SSNUP made a call for projects focussing on food crops for local markets in Africa, and in January 2025, Shared Interest Foundation was delighted to be successful in our application to SSNUP for its project  ‘Sustainable Coffee Futures: Building Climate and Value Chain Resilience’, with Rwandan co-operative Tropic Coffee.  

Building sustainable coffee futures in Rwanda

Launched in July 2025, this 12-month project is supporting 500 coffee farmers with training and resources to rejuvenate farms, adopt sustainable practices, improve farm management skills, build climate resilience and develop financial literacy and leadership, ultimately contributing to enhanced productivity and increased income. 

Harriet Urwin, Shared Interest Foundation Development Officer, said:

“We are delighted to be partway through our first project funded under the SSNUP call for proposals. This project effectively combines farmer training with cooperative development, and we are confident it will deliver strong impact by improving both productivity and climate resilience among smallholder coffee farmers.”  

Partners and funders  

Our relationship with SSNUP has gone from strength to strength, and at the end of 2025, Shared Interest Society was welcomed as a partnering impact investor for SSNUP’s current implementation phase until 2029. In this capacity, Shared Interest will support SSNUP’s objectives of increasing the resilience of smallholder farmers and attracting more private sector investments in agriculture in Africa and Latin America. 

Sally Seddon, Shared Interest Partnership Manager, said:

“Joining SSNUP comes at a very exciting time for Shared Interest as we aim to align the work of Shared Interest Society and Foundation more closely together. Participating in the programme gives us an ideal opportunity to   build our knowledge and expertise  in providing finance and technical  assis tance as a package to customers." 

The 10-year SSNUP programme is funded by Luxembourg, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, meanwhile, Appui au Développement Autonome is responsible for coordinating the SSNUP programme and overseeing knowledge management.  

Collaborating for fairer farmer futures  

Working with smallholder farmers at the heart of the fair trade system since 1990, Shared Interest is uniquely positioned to improve the livelihoods and resilience of producer groups through this milestone collaboration.  

In May, representatives of Shared Interest and Shared Interest Foundation will attend the 2026 SSNUP stakeholder workshop in Luxembourg, joining other organisations participating in the current SSNUP programme.  

This will be an opportunity to network and participate in strategic discissions focused on technical assistance management and de-risking impact investment in agriculture. It will also be an opportunity to hear from SSNUP on programme results and future plans.  

We look forward to reporting more on this collaboration in due course, as we work hand-in-hand with partners like SSNUP to invest in a world which is fairer for the 500-million smallholder farmers who grow the food we eat, but often can’t support their own families.