S2-E5 Financing the FairTrade System with Christoph Gosdenoz

In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking to Christoph Gosdenoz, partner and chairman of FairCapital. FairCapital is an impact investor based in Switzerland that specializes in financing solutions for Fairtrade cooperatives in the global south. My favorite insights from this conversation were: It’s the specific design and timing rather than just the interest rate that determines whether a loan helps a cooperative.  One of FairCapital’s innovations is to use existing purchase agreements from reliable buyers as collateral. FairCapital is open to retail impact investors at a minimum commitment of CHF 5’000. However, there is a plan for a token that would allow retail investors to become impact investors with very small amounts.