About Shorefast
Shorefast is a registered Canadian charity formed in 2006 by siblings Zita, Alan, and Anthony Cobb: eighth generation Fogo Islanders with the goal to build another leg on Fogo Island’s economy following the collapse of the traditional cod fishery that had sustained this remote island for several centuries.
Shorefast’s mission is to build economic and cultural resilience on Fogo Island. We envision a world where all business is social business, and our model on Fogo Island holds learnings for places worldwide.
Using business-minded means to achieve social ends, Shorefast describes itself as a social enterprise and has spearheaded a holistic set of charitable programs and social businesses on Fogo Island. Charitable initiatives include Fogo Island Arts, Geology at the Edge, a micro-lending fund, and numerous heritage restoration projects. Shorefast is also behind three social businesses, Fogo Island Inn, Fogo Island Shop, and Fogo Island Fish, which have garnered worldwide attention as examples of business used as a tool to serve place and community. Shorefast has pioneered the innovative practice of economic nutrition labelling for its social businesses, transparently demonstrating “where the money goes.”
