Prospero is an Irish charity which provides finance at 'low or no' interest to Fairtrade certified cooperatives and businesses in developing countries. Fairtrade certification guarantees producers a premium on top of the price, which is used for social projects in the community, decided on by the cooperative members themselves. You'll find more information at www.fairtrade.ie.

Access to working capital is a major problem for Fairtrade producers, and many cooperatives and businesses are unable to pay their members for their produce until the cooperatives sell the product. This can take months. The farmers then become vulnerable to middlemen who pay them bad prices but who can offer them cash when they need it.

And even if Fairtrade cooperatives can get loans, huge interest rates - 20% and more - are common.

That’s why access to relatively small loans (€10,000 to €20,000) at ‘low-or-no’ interest rates can make a world of difference to many organisations in poor communities.