Become a Better Food Trader
Better Food Traders is a UK-wide network that supports and promotes ethical food traders who sell locally-grown, planet-friendly food. You might be a shop, online seller, food hub, market stall or veg box scheme. As a member, you join a community of thriving enterprises, all deeply connected to local customers, often using innovative ways to distribute and supply healthy, sustainably-produced food.
Becoming a Better Food Trader gives you a support network, so you’re not working alone. We offer business advice, training, peer-learning, in-person conferences, online resources, free or discounted training… and lots more. Best of all, you become part of an amazing community of food traders all working together for a better food system!
Click here to see our Membership pack for more info.
WE CURRENTLY WELCOME:
- Traders who sell UK-grown, organic/agroecological fruit and veg, grains, pulses, nuts or seeds.
- Traders who sell products made from UK-grown, organic/agroecological fruit and veg, grains, pulses, nuts or seeds (bread, pasta, oils, jams, chutneys, drinks).
- Traders who sell ethically-sourced wild or foraged produce.
If you sell mainly meat, eggs or dairy products, we’re very pleased to hear from you but at the moment our focus is on traders who sell plant-based products. This is not so much for ethical reasons as due to the complexities of certification, and where we are as an organisation! We may expand our work to support meat and dairy in the future, but for now we recommend you contact the Soil Association or Pasture for Life.
THE BETTER FOOD TRADERS STANDARDS
Because supporting local organic farmers helps them survive, thrive and grow more nature- and planet-friendly produce.
Because organic and agroecological farming is better for soil health, biodiversity, animals and people.
80% is a practical proportion that allows traders to sell a diverse, culturally-appropriate range of fresh produce to their customers while still prioritising local, planet-friendly produce.
Traders of food made from UK-grown plant-based products (bread, pasta, oils, jams, drinks) ensure at least 80% of the ingredients used are local and organic/agroecological.
Because of the damaging carbon impact of air-freighting produce such as asparagus, fine beans, soft fruits and stone fruits. We want to encourage people to shift to more seasonal eating and there is so much great produce grown here in the UK!
Good businesses need to have good systems in place, and we encourage our members to improve their monitoring and reporting to ensure their own success and resilience. We want our members to be sure that they are sourcing locally, ethically and sustainably.
Because we know that business and trade can be a force for good, and that in the real world there is always a triple bottom line of profit, people and planet to balance.
Because the people that traders serve are not ‘consumers’ but citizens who live and work in our community.
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Membership application guidelines
Application Process
1
APPLICATION
Kick-start your journey by filling in our quick and easy application form. It may look a bit detailed but it will only take you 10-15 minutes, honest!
2
ASSESSMENT
Your application is reviewed and we’ll send you an acceptance email, or tips on how to get your business to the standards we require (see above).
3
WELCOME
Once you’re accepted, we’ll send a series of onboarding emails explaining how to access all of our resources, and a lovely window sticker to display with pride.
4
GET INVOLVED
Attend our events, join our campaigns, network with other members, and share your wisdom and advice!
We give people a year to get to know BFT, after which we ask you to support the network by paying some modest fees.
For Better Food Traders
YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COSTS OF THE NETWORK
Although Better Food Traders is mainly funded by grants (thank you, Esmee Fairbairn Foundation!) we make sure our work can continue to flourish by asking members to share some costs after the first year.
We have a simple fee structure: £150 a year for smaller organisations with a turnover below £500k, and £250 a year for organisations with a turnover above that. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, we have an option for reduced fees for those who need it.
Your membership application will take 10-15 minutes - you'll need to dig out your social media handles, and some basic business data.
Better Food Traders is largely funded by charitable grants but we charge modest fees of £150 per year for smaller organisations and £250 per year for those with a turnover above £500k to help cover our costs. To join the network, we ask that you submit your trading data and update your data annually via our Data Deep Dive survey. All business data will be used in aggregate and anonymously, unless we have your explicit permission.
You will join a community of like-minded people who are running food organisations like yours. A place where people are asking the questions you may have asked, exchanging ideas and sharing solutions that match your organisation’s needs. You avoid reinventing the wheel, and gain access to tried and tested solutions.
You will also be added to our interactive Better Food Traders Map so that customers in your area can find you.
The Slack networking platform is a platform of peers. This means the more you put in, the more you get out. We recommend that each organisation commits 30 mins a week time to the shared workspace.
You will become part of something bigger: a movement of small businesses and organisations striving to create a real, greener alternative to the food system. Evidence of our collective impact will be used to drive change with policy makers and funders - and you will be able to use it to motivate yourself and your workforce.
You will receive an immediate email confirmation, and then you'll hear from us within a few days of applying if your application is successful. If you receive a rejection email, we will follow up with you to explain how you can improve your working practices in order to become a Better Food Trader.