better food traders

What better food traders does

Better Food Traders (BFT) is a UK-wide non-profit Community Interest Company that operates a membership network of 200+ independent sustainable food retailers — including farm shops, veg box schemes, food co-ops, market traders, bakeries, food hubs, and online sellers — committed to six membership standards covering organic/agroecological sourcing, no air-freighted produce, and fair trading practices. Founded in 2020 with founding support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and in partnership with the Sustain alliance, BFT grew out of Growing Communities, London's first Community Supported Agriculture scheme established in Hackney in 1993 by Julie Brown. The organisation is delivered by a core team of one to ten part-time staff and freelancers, and transitioned from an earlier accreditation scheme to a tiered membership model to focus resources on member services rather than certification.

BFT's core products are the membership programme and the BFT Trader Map. The Trader Map is a Google Maps-integrated directory that lets consumers locate member enterprises by postal code and filter by trader type. Member benefits span training (30 hours of online sessions cited in 2024/25, covering marketing and farmers' market setup), 55 hours of 1:1 business advice clinics during Business Support Week, an Annual Gathering, coordinated marketing and PR campaigns, a member resource library, a bi-annual benchmarking programme, and occasional micro-grants (just over £10,000 disbursed to eight members in March 2023). The organisation also runs policy and research work, including a three-year UKRI-funded backcasting project on UK food resilience.

Revenue comes primarily from tiered annual membership fees — Tier 1 at £350/year for CSAs, sole traders, and start-ups, rising across Tiers 2–4 for enterprises with £35k–£150k, £150k–£500k, and over £500k turnover respectively, plus a Supporter tier for aligned individuals and NGOs — supplemented by philanthropic and research grants from partners such as Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, UKRI, and AFN Network+. Distribution is indirect: BFT does not sell to end consumers itself, but routes discovery and demand through its Trader Map and coordinated campaigns to the 200+ member enterprises that transact directly with shoppers.

Name

better food traders

Legal name

Better Food Traders

Website

https://betterfoodtraders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Better Food Traders is a UK non-profit network supporting 200+ independent sustainable food retailers through tiered membership, training, a Trader Map directory, and policy advocacy, funded by membership fees and foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Food Trader Membership Network

NAICS

Food and Beverage Retailers (445), Specialty Food Retailers (4452)

SIC

Retail-Food Stores (5400), Retail-Grocery Stores (5411)

akta.pro primary industry

Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers (CRAHAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops) (CRAHALAG), Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH), Grocery & Specialty Food Marketplaces (CRAFABAE)

Keywords

• Sustainable food network
• Food trader membership
• Independent food retail
• Community food enterprises
• Agroecological food sourcing

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Tiered annual membership fees based on enterprise turnover: Tier 1 (£350/year for CSAs/sole traders/start-ups under £35k turnover), Tier 2-4 for enterprises with £35k-£150k, £150k-£500k, and over £500k turnover respectively. Supporter tier available for non-trader allies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Better Food Traders is a UK-wide non-profit Community Interest Company (CIC) that operates a membership network of 200+ independent, sustainable food enterprises (farm shops, veg box schemes, food co-ops, bakeries, food hubs, and online sellers). It provides members with peer learning, training, marketing support, advocacy, and visibility via the consumer-facing Trader Map directory, while promoting agroecological and regenerative sourcing principles across the UK food system.

Product overview

Better Food Traders is a UK-wide non-profit Community Interest Company network that represents and promotes locally-rooted food traders committed to sustainable, ethical food systems. The organization operates as a membership-based network rather than a traditional software company. Its core offerings include the BFT Network, the BFT Trader Map (a geographic search tool), and tiered membership programmes (Tier 1-4 for traders and Supporter Tier for aligned organizations). Member benefits encompass training and professional development, the Annual Gathering, Business Support Week, coordinated marketing and PR, resource libraries, peer-to-peer networking, and access to micro-grants. The organization also conducts policy advocacy and research to strengthen the independent food sector.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Better Food Traders Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Three times more of the food pound goes to farmers with BFT traders compared to supermarkets
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SustaincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership in launching BFT in 2020. Sustain is the UK food and farming campaign coalition. BFT contributes to research, pushes for policy change, and campaigns for a fairer food system together.
• Soil AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey ally in promoting organic and agroecological farming practices. Collaboration on research and policy initiatives.
• Growing CommunitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrigin organisation - London's first Community Supported Agriculture scheme founded in Hackney in 1993 by Julie Brown. BFT grew from this initiative.
• Sustainable Food PlacescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on local food policy and sustainable food systems work at regional level.
• Landworkers AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting small and medium scale farmers and growers with routes to market.
• Pasture for LifecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on regenerative farming standards for meat and dairy products.
• Food Farming and Countryside CommissionmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on research and policy work regarding food system transformation.
• Bridging the GapmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on sustainable food system initiatives.
• Food Data CollaborationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on food data and transparency initiatives.
• Procurement for GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on sustainable food procurement practices.
• Farming the Future's NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork collaboration for sustainable farming advocacy.
• Regional Food PartnershipsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of regional partnerships working on local food system change.
• RiverfordminorOthersValues-aligned vegetable box company collaborating on shared mission.
• UKOrganicminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on organic food sector promotion.
• FoodFacts.orgminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on food transparency and labelling.
• The Community FarmminorOthersCommunity-owned farm enterprise and BFT member.
• The NestminorOthersBFT member enterprise.
• UKGrainLabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on sustainable grain and flour supply chains.
• The Real Bread CampaignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting real bread makers and sustainable baking.
• OooobyminorOthersValues-aligned sustainable food enterprise.
• Growing GoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on urban growing and food education.
• The Church of EnglandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on faith-based food system initiatives.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/betterfoodtrade
• Instagraminstagram.com/betterfoodtraders
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/better-food-traders

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about better food traders