Summary

Our customers heavily depend on a reliable market
channel. The increase in sales and their subsequent
income is largely driven by a boost in buyer confidence.
However, it is clear that the challenges faced by our
customers did not deter their trading opportunities. Our
Customer Social Impact Survey revealed that 49% of
respondents reported increased sales, primarily due to
higher sales prices. This increase, however, created
additional pressure on their financial liquidity. They also
highlighted how better access to finance, not limited to
Shared Interest contributed to higher sales.
Our latest Customer Social Impact Survey showed that
80% of respondents reported they had undertaken
organisational development projects, spanning
infrastructure, equipment, market expansion,
e-commerce, and various other fields. Moreover, we
asked about community development projects, with 76%
affirming their active involvement. These initiatives
primarily focused on environment, education, water and
sanitation, and health.
Our survey also featured open-ended questions to
uncover challenges encountered by artisans, farmers,
employees, and workers over the last year, along with
the mitigation measures taken. Notably, climate change,
escalating living costs, increased input and fertiliser
expenses, market price fluctuations, access to finance,
and low demand for commodities like honey emerged as
recurrent challenges. In response, our support included
training in climate resilience, reforestation, organic and
GAP, and environmental conservation, attesting our
commitment to mitigating challenges and fostering
sustainable development.
Our Lending Team has observed the effects of climate
change on agricultural production, and this remains a
significant challenge. Farmers already dealing with
volatile market prices and rising production costs are
now dealing with extraordinary weather patterns,
prolonged droughts, extreme rainfall, and crop diseases.
These changes lead to reduced yields, especially in
areas lacking irrigation systems. Affirming the need for
climate adaptation and resilience measures.
Producer groups have initiated a range of projects
aimed at mitigating and adapting to the impacts of
climate change, including training in climate resilience
strategies, compliance with EU Deforestation
Regulation, irrigation management, and reforestation.
Such initiatives extend beyond agriculture, promoting
environmental sustainability.
Achieving Goal 5 of the SDGs, gender equality and
empowering women and girls by 2030, is an ambitious
target. While progress has been made, gender
disparities persist worldwide. However, within the
organisations we support, there is a growing trend of
women's empowerment initiatives. Female farmers and
artisans are gaining recognition for their role in supply
chains, with increased opportunities for career
development and autonomy. Globally, women make up
43% of the agricultural labour force but face
discrimination in areas like land ownership, equal pay,
decision-making, and financial access. In our portfolio,
women account for 32%, but this figure does not
consider women working on land owned by male
relatives. Initiatives such as those in the Amazonas
region, led by Elizabeth Arista Salazar and Merling
Preza, focus on women's visibility, education, land
access, and leadership development.
In alignment with the 2030 Agenda, our work strives not
only to alleviate poverty but also to propel lasting
transformations in the lives of the individuals and
communities we serve.

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