Increasing the profitability and sustainability of producer groups through Technical Assistance

Project Details

The organisations involved in this project produce a variety of commodities, including coffee, cocoa, honey and hibiscus. These organisations are also being supported through finance from Shared Interest Society.

Training focused on the following key topics:

• Co-operative governance and management
• Business planning and management
• Financial planning and management
• Climate change adaptation
• Access to market

In Africa, training emphasised co-operative governance, management training, business and financial management and climate smart agriculture.

In Latin America, the training covered business and financial planning and management, together with access to markets. Regional-specific topics included coffee pricing and coffee price risk management, cash flow projection, loan management and income statement analysis.

Project Impacts

All participating organisations were supported to develop new policies and procedures, or review and improve existing structures. In East and West Africa, the experts supported all organisations to enhance business plans and create management plants to support member and staff engagement and governance compliance.

In South and Central America, seven of the thirteen organisations made significant improvements to their Governance and Leadership Succession Plan with a focus on gender. Twelve organisation made changes and improvements to their Strategic Plans. Four organisations who previously did not have an import or export plan, but developed one through this programme.

Lauben Enock, General Manager of participating organisation Banyankole Coffee Services, commented;

“We now have a financial reporting procedure. We know where the transaction begins up to the approval. This has created transparency and accountability within our organisation” 

Lauben reported that internal controls have also been strengthened.

"Now we have clear financial policies and procedures in place addressing lack of segregation of duties and improving inclusion of women and youth in financial decision making processes. This was something we did not have before.”

Support our work

We hope you enjoyed learning about this Shared Interest Foundation project.

Since 2004, thanks to our incredible supporters, Shared Interest Foundation has delivered 51 projects in 15 countries, reaching over 13,000 farmers and artisans. 

Support the Foundation's work today and help to build a fairer world for the future.

If you have any questions about this project, please feel free to speak with a member of the Foundation team via email here.