SI AnnRev2021 web - Flipbook - Page 3
SHARED INTEREST SOCIETY ANNUAL REVIEW 2021 3
WELCOME TO OUR
2021 REVIEW
It is an honour to introduce this Annual
Review, which reports on a year of
achievement for Shared Interest Society
despite the global challenges faced. The
impact of the pandemic continues to echo
through developing world countries, which
also face the ever growing effects of climate
change. By continuing to provide a reliable
source of finance throughout the past 12
months, we have helped secure livelihoods
for farmers and artisans in some of the
world’s most vulnerable communities.
None of this would have been possible
without our members, who remain very much
at our heart. Share Capital increased by
£4.6m over the course of the year to reach a
grand total of £50.7m. This was the highest
annual increase recorded in our history
and enabled us to make payments totalling
£59.2m to 221 organisations in 49 countries,
improving the livelihoods of 374,249
individuals.
Our customers have continued to show
incredible resilience and we have included a
selection of case studies in this report, which
reflect the true value of our financial support.
We continue to see the wider impact for
communities as businesses use their
Fairtrade Premium to improve health services
in response to the pandemic, or to encourage
climate resilient farming techniques.
Coffee continues to dominate our lending
portfolio, accounting for 47.1%, and we are
now seeing a growing number of women
taking leadership positions in the industry.
We do continue to broaden the range of