Day: 21 May 2026

‘Gender mainstreaming’ urged as just 0.4% of grants reach women’s organisations

Stuart Mitchell

Philanthropic organisations and charities must embed gender considerations across their work, urges a new report which highlights a significant rise in ‘anti-gender’ spending. Proven Practices in Gender Mainstreaming: Foundations in Conversation, a publication by Philea’s Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Network, notes that only 0.42% of foundation grants reach women’s rights organisations, and 1% of development aid reaches feminist organisations led by marginalised groups. The report argues that funders should treat gender not as a standalone issue but as a lens that improves outcomes across all areas of work, from…

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Fairtrade announces new Living Income Reference Prices for cocoa after extensive industry review

Stuart Mitchell

New Living Income Reference Prices for cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana are now available and will enter into force at the start of the harvest season in autumn 2026, according to Fairtrade International. The voluntary Living Income Reference Prices have increased for both origins, which together produce two-thirds of the world’s cocoa. In Côte d’Ivoire, the new Living Income Reference Price at farmgate is 1,758 CFA francs per kilo, or $3.11, while in Ghana it is 45.40 cedi per kilo, or $3.95 at the applied exchange rate.  “The volatility of global prices is one of the reasons it’s so difficult for…

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Octopus Energy Generation to invest $500 million to remove polluting CO₂ from the atmosphere

Stuart Mitchell

Octopus Energy Generation, one of Europe’s leading renewables investors, is ramping up efforts to slash CO₂ pollution at scale – inking a major US deal that will help remove up to 50 million tonnes of carbon dioxide from the air. Octopus’s fund management team is set to invest $500 million in afforestation and reforestation projects in the US developed by public benefit and climate technology company Living Carbon. On top of that, Octopus has put nearly $13 million into Living Carbon’s fast-growing, cutting-edge carbon removal development business. With the new…

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M&S Picks up the Baton on Industry Initiative to Turn Surplus Food Into Meals for Those That Need Them

Stuart Mitchell

M&S is joining an industry-first coalition to support families who are experiencing food poverty in the UK by turning surplus food from supply chains into millions of meals for families who need them most. Around 11 million people in the UK experience food insecurity, including three million children. Through Alliance Food Sourcing (AFS) — a pioneering collaboration between retailers, suppliers and charities created as part of the Coronation Food Project — businesses are working together to prevent good food from going to waste and get it to communities facing hunger. …

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