The Shared interest Summer report 2026 shows that the Newcastle-based cooperative is still doing great work helping to make a fairer and more sustainable world.
A Shared Future: strategy from 2027 to 2031
Shared interest has been developing their strategy for the next five years, shaped by the ideas of the members who are said to know Shared Interest the best. Workshops took place and a survey, which have given honest reflections, insights and ideas which can influence the direction Shared Interest have set
Five themes will guide their work over the next half decade
Shared Interest will grow its membership and engage further with it, while its lending and customer base will also be extended. The work of the society and foundation will come closer together and they will ensure that the difference they make is visible and meaningful by developing how they measure and communicate impact. Finally, they will continue to become more responsive, more efficient and better equipped for future challenges.
Supporting the next generation of coffee growers in Honduras
Shared Interest has been supporting coffee farmers in Honduras high up in the hills of Copan. Here coffee farming has been a way of life for a long time, with the high altitudes, ranging from 1200 to 1700 metres above sea level and the rich soils, helping the farmers to produce some of central America’s finest Arabica beans.
However, the farmers still face challenges ensuring that their children and grandchildren can see a future for themselves in this kind of work. Many young people feel that farming is uncertain and financially risky and they need access to training and to markets and to support and without these they are often tempted to leave rural areas in search of work in the cities.
Consequently, it is important for the future of communities in places like Copan and for the future of coffee growing itself for Shared Interest to be able to help strengthen pathways for young people into sustainable agriculture.
Shared Interest has been able to do this with associations like Cafes Especiales Coquin SA (Cafescor), who are making a real difference. This association was founded by 25 ambitious farmers 12 years ago, with a clear goal of helping to bring the regions high quality coffee to market across the world.
This aim has been fulfilled in many respects with the association now having 688 thriving producers, 40% of whom are young people, with around 60% of their coffee going to Europe.
Cafescor became a Shared Interest customer in 2019 and the loans from Shared Interest have meant that Cafescor has been able to deepen its impact and strengthen its operation. With access to finance, they have been able to prefinance coffee contracts this means that farmers receive timely payment for their harvests which is a very important part of maintaining both livelihoods and quality of coffee beans.
Herminio Perdono commented:
“Shared interest finance allows Cafescor to purchase copy from producers during harvest, ensuring timely payments, improving cash flow at farm level and supporting the long term sustainability are farming communities. Through this support farmers can focus on improving coffee quality investing in their farms and maintaining sustainable agricultural practices.
”In addition this financial support strengthens cafe scores ability to access international specialty coffee markets generating long term economic opportunities and improving livelihoods for coffee growing families”.
Harvesting hope in the hills of Rwanda
Meanwhile, in the central African state of Rwanda, as many as 500 000 farmers cultivate coffee at high altitude among the rolling hills of the country. A healthy mixture of sunshine, plenty of rainfall and volcanic soils, rich in nutrients, has meant that very high-quality coffee can be grown. They have come together in a cooperative called Huye.
Shared Interest has supported Huye Since 2019 and this has meant that the cooperative has been able to pay farmers in advance of export, grow sustainably, and pay for a milling machine colour sorter machine and a new warehouse in Kigali.
All this has meant that coffee growing in the hills of Rwanda has been able to develop on a firm footing to the benefit of both producers and consumers.
Connecting people, land and culture
Another cooperative being helped by shared interest is the Cooperativa Agraria Cafetelera Valle de Incahausi (CACVI). This cooperative has transformed life and the future of coffee for over 500 smallholder farmers.
Access to markets from for the members of CACVI who are spread over 14 local communities has been limited in the past. However, support from Shared Interest has meant that CACVI has been able to develop high quality Arabica coffee that demands premium prices.
Producers have also been helped to make better use of dehydrated coffee pulp. Susanna Huaman Chaque, a participant in this project has noted: “Previously we used pulp to make compost; however, through the project we learned to give it another value as dehydrated pulp. Since this was my first time doing this activity, I delivered 3 bags of 25 kilos each to the cooperative. This year, I will try to produce more pulp”.
Shared Interest receives special recognition
In May 2026, Bruno Biaggi Vidal, Shared Interest lending manager for South America, received special recognition from CAC Alta Montana and the Ministry of the Environment in Peru. This was in recognition of Shared Interest’s environmental impact during what is known as ’Impacta Verde’ or green impact.
The award came after shared interest had provided a credit facility in January this year to help grow coffee and cocoa exports. This meant that the cooperative Alta Montana Was able to secure export contrast contracts helping more than 500 member farmers.
Alta Montana have expressed their appreciation for Shared Interest’s responsive approach which combines thorough assessment with efficient decision making.
Practical help and a great vision
Once again Newcastle based cooperative Shared Interest has shown the value of working with grassroots producers to help develop a fairer and more sustainable world. It is this kind of practical and visionary work which can make a real difference for people across the developing world, enabling them to produce high product high quality produce which can also benefit consumers around the world.
To learn more about the work of shared interest and how you can help them in their important work, please see here.
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