Who We Support

How our lending works

Globally, nearly 570 million households depend on smallholder farming for their livelihoods.  It is estimated that smallholder farmers produce about 35 per cent of the world’s food.  However, they often experience food insecurity and financial exclusion, which leave them unable to invest in their farms and increase their productivity and incomes.

Shared Interest provides finance and works in parts of the world where other lenders are less keen to operate. We focus on reaching small farming and handcraft groups in disadvantaged areas, and we know that 70% of our customers have no other source of financial support.

The businesses we support range from small producer organisations to large scale coffee and cocoa co-operatives and buyers. We offer a variety of lending options that enable our customers to finance orders, access working capital, purchase essential machinery and infrastructure, and make advance payments to farmers and artisans.

Image: Elias Uldaricio Vasquez Huenuqueo and Maria Yaneth Garcés Vera, who are married and members of Apicoop, on their bee farm in Chile.

Our impact

Last financial year our members enabled us to make disbursements totalling £49.2m to 173 organisations, supporting the livelihoods of over 412,628 farmers and artisans in 45 countries.  

This impact is not just on the businesses we support, but their community and wider environment.

You can read more about our success stories on our impact map.