QUARTERLY RETURN 102 WINTER 2016/17 BEAUTIFUL HANDCRAFTS THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLANET Sustaining a precious relationship in the Peruvian Amazon. A COMMITMENT WITH NATURE Leading the way in agricultural best practice and high quality production. WHAT’S UP WITH MAMBO COFFEE? Showcasing speciality coffee in Kenya. WELCOME Happy New Year to you all New customer, Allpa – which and I hope you had a great means ‘earth’ in Quechua Indian SPEAKING Christmas. We were delighted – is a fair trade handcraft producer OPPORTUNITIES to receive such a positive group in Peru. Read more about response to our Christmas their journey on pages 6 and 7. card, and thank you to Thank you to all who As part of our continued drive to responded to our call everyone who invested reduce our paper usage, instead for volunteers to speak further with us over the of sending you a full copy of the festive period. Annual Review, we have produced in your local area. a summary of both the Society ‘Your actions change lives’ is the and Foundation activities over We continue to receive enquiries and are working hard to deal with these message for this year’s Fairtrade the year, inside this issue of QR. requests. One invitation came from Fortnight and as Shared Interest If you would prefer to read the investors, you are changing lives member Geoffrey Lock, in Bristol, who full version, please contact invited ambassador Chris Fox to speak every single day. [email protected], at the Rotary Club of Clifton’s November or call 0191 233 9103. Alternatively, lunch meeting. Chris delivered a short We hope to see many of you at you can download copies from presentation, including showing one our AGM, at the Northern Design our website. of our customer films, and answered Centre in Gateshead, on Friday questions on various topics including 10th March. Details of the meeting Thank you once again for your customers, risk and regulation. are enclosed with this newsletter. continued support in 2016, and On the page opposite you can read all the best for the coming year. Geoffrey said the event was a great about our upcoming regional success as “The talk clearly set out the aims of Shared Interest and was well member events, which will take I hope you enjoy this issue of QR. illustrated with slides.” place throughout the year. Please continue to let us know of This newsletter includes updates opportunities in your area. We need your on new and longstanding support to continue to spread the word customers. Brazil nut producers, Patricia about Shared Interest and to increase our Candela Peru, started their lending capacity. Please get in touch at relationship with us in 2001. [email protected] You can read more about their or on 0191 233 9103. progress on pages 4 and 5. 2 Front and back page images: Allpa, handcraft producers in Peru. QUARTERLY RETURN 102 WINTER 2016/17 In our last edition of QR we announced the date for this year’s AGM. We can now tell you that the event will be held DATES at the Northern Design Centre on the banks of the Tyne. FOR THE We invite you all to join us in our home region on Friday 10th March. Your voting card and AGM booklet DIARY are enclosed. FAIRTRADE ‘MAKE YOUR MONEY FORTNIGHT COUNT’ EVENT Monday 27th February - On Thursday 3rd November, we invited members to join us in Sunday 12th March Edinburgh for an ethical investment debate, as part of Good Money Week. “We need to amplify the voices of marginalised producers as much as Building on the success of our joint event in 2015, we held the event ever in 2017”, is the message from in partnership with Rathbone Greenbank, Triodos, Ethical Futures and the Fairtrade Foundation ahead of The Church of Scotland. Almost 100 people listened to guest speakers this year’s Fairtrade Fortnight. discussing key issues around ethical investment and how active engagement with companies and policymakers can make a difference. “When we come together we can change the way people think about trade and the products on our UPCOMING shelves – the Fairtrade movement MEMBER EVENTS is made up of ordinary people This is your chance to meet staff together with members of our Board doing extraordinary things in their and Council. We would love to see you at one of the below events. communities for Fairtrade. Your actions help shoppers to make choices that change the lives Date Venue Location of farmers and workers.” – Fairtrade Foundation. Fri 10th March The Design Centre Gateshead Shared Interest is supporting the campaign by encouraging our staff, Fri 12th May Wales Millennium Centre Cardiff stakeholders and supporters to put Fairtrade in their break. Our Sat 20th May White Cloth Gallery Leeds volunteers will also be getting involved, attending a range of events across the UK. Thu 8th June The Old Library at The Custard Factory Birmingham Thu 15th June Philharmonic Music Hall Liverpool Fri 30th June Friends Meeting House, Euston London SHARED-INTEREST.COM 3 A HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND PLANET For over 25 years, Candela has Candela owns the whole process of “Without the support of Shared used Shared Interest finance to production. Members collect nuts Interest, Candela would not be sustain a precious relationship during the harvest period and able to pre-finance harvest in the Peruvian Amazon. Candela buys the raw and peeled activities and many nut harvesters material. The nuts are stored in would have been denied their Castañeros are brazil nut gatherers, their warehouse prior to exporting only source of livelihood.” who live along the Madre de Dios to their buyers. They also have Lupe Lanao, General Manager, River in the Peruvian rainforest. This a nut processing plant in Puerto Candela area is known for having the greatest Maldonado and one in Lima, diversity of plant and animal species where most of the processing Candela’s work goes far beyond the on earth. and packaging is done. nut production process. They have been working tirelessly with fair In 2003, the government granted Since 2001, Candela has benefitted trade organisations and certification a 40-year concession to the from three different types of financial bodies to ensure their farmers Castañeros, allowing them to farm support from Shared Interest. All of receive a fair price for their crop. the brazil nut trees in clearly defined these facilities have contributed to They have also provided water and locations; securing not only the growth and sustainability of the drainage systems for a number livelihoods but the vested interest organisation and impacted positively of indigenous communities giving of the farmers in managing and on the livelihood of nut producers them access to clean water. protecting the rainforest. and harvesters, their families and communities. The graph opposite shows the Candela was established to help sales growth of Candela over Castañeros find markets for their Our Monitoring and Evaluation the last 16 years. brazil nut products. Export of Officer carried out a study with candles, chocolate, and oils, is the Candela to assess the impact of this key to reaping tangible rewards support. Results show that Shared from this harmonious relationship Interest investors have played a between people and planet. pivotal role in the growth and sustainability of the organisation. 4 QUARTERLY RETURN 102 WINTER 2016/17 CANDELA SALES GROWTH SINCE BECOMING A CUSTOMER 2004 – Shared 2007 – Loan 2011 – Sales 2014 – Due to Interest increases received from increase from high demand, Candela’s loan Shared Interest USD 2,839,657 to Candela reach their threefold. to upgrade USD 3,990,916. production capacity. machinery in their processing unit. Candela requests a loan to finance their expansion and technology upgrade project. USD 5,000,000 4,000,000 3,000,000 2,000,000 1,000,000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2000 – Candela is 2005 – Sales 2010 – Candela 2013 – Sales hit hard by a sudden increase from requests a loan to recover and Candela decline in the world USD 991,664 to improve the production experiences a very prices of the brazil USD 1,530,339. processing plant. high demand for nut, leading to the nuts. heavy loss in the business. 2002 – Shared Interest 2012 – Decline in sales 2015 – A slight decrease provides Candela with a due to a relative price was experienced due to loan to pre-finance their fall of the nuts and a market price volatility. harvest. Sales increase drop in buyer orders. from USD 143,492 to USD 737,498. SHARED-INTEREST.COM 5 BEAUTIFUL HANDCRAFTS THAT DON’T COST THE EARTH Allpa is a handcraft rainforest area of Pucallpa, where Artisans selling under the Allpa name are organisation in Peru that takes craft production is one of the few considered luxury designers, constantly sources of income. developing new and cutting-edge its name from a Quechua styles. In return for this expertise, Allpa Indian word meaning ‘earth’. With artisans specialising in jewellery, provides access to the international textiles, ceramics, and wood, Allpa market providing producers with a The organisation came into fruition has benefitted from an export credit reliable source of income. in 1986. Thirty years later, it employs facility from Shared Interest since However, some of the producers are 27 people and benefits hundreds 2014. As less than 10% of their now trading directly with importers after of handcraft producers throughout sales are local, this is a vital facility developing under Allpa’s guidance. Peru, providing marketing assistance, for the organisation.