better food traders
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
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.
better food traders firmographics
Firmographics- 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
better food traders industry classification
Industry- 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
better food traders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Tier 1 - For CSAs, sole traders, start-ups (first 2 years), enterprises under £35k turnover |
| Subscription | Annual | Tier 2 - For enterprises with £35k-£150k turnover |
| Subscription | Annual | Tier 3 - For enterprises with £150k-£500k turnover |
| Subscription | Annual | Tier 4 - For enterprises with over £500k turnover |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporter Tier - For individuals, NGOs, and other enterprises that align with BFT work but don't fit trader model |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels8 records
better food traders product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use better food traders
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
better food traders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature1 record
better food traders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- SustaincoreLong-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 AssociationcoreKey ally in promoting organic and agroecological farming practices. Collaboration on research and policy initiatives.
- Growing CommunitiescoreOrigin organisation - London's first Community Supported Agriculture scheme founded in Hackney in 1993 by Julie Brown. BFT grew from this initiative.
- Sustainable Food PlacescoreCollaboration on local food policy and sustainable food systems work at regional level.
- Landworkers AlliancecorePartnership supporting small and medium scale farmers and growers with routes to market.
- Pasture for LifecoreCollaboration on regenerative farming standards for meat and dairy products.
- Food Farming and Countryside CommissionmajorCollaboration on research and policy work regarding food system transformation.
- Bridging the GapmajorPartnership on sustainable food system initiatives.
- Food Data CollaborationminorCollaboration on food data and transparency initiatives.
- Procurement for GoodminorPartnership on sustainable food procurement practices.
- Farming the Future's NetworksminorNetwork collaboration for sustainable farming advocacy.
- Regional Food PartnershipsminorNetwork of regional partnerships working on local food system change.
- RiverfordminorValues-aligned vegetable box company collaborating on shared mission.
- UKOrganicminorCollaboration on organic food sector promotion.
- FoodFacts.orgminorPartnership on food transparency and labelling.
- The Community FarmminorCommunity-owned farm enterprise and BFT member.
- The NestminorBFT member enterprise.
- UKGrainLabminorCollaboration on sustainable grain and flour supply chains.
- The Real Bread CampaignminorPartnership supporting real bread makers and sustainable baking.
- OooobyminorValues-aligned sustainable food enterprise.
- Growing GoodminorPartnership on urban growing and food education.
- The Church of EnglandminorPartnership on faith-based food system initiatives.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
better food traders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
better food traders social profiles
Digital presencebetter food traders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
better food traders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
better food traders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
better food traders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about better food traders
What does better food traders do?
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.
Is better food traders a public or private company?
better food traders is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was better food traders founded?
better food traders was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does better food traders make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Fees.
Does better food traders have an API?
No public API is recorded for better food traders.
What industry is better food traders in?
better food traders's product category is Sustainable Food Trader Membership Network. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHAEAJ, Natural/Organic Food Co-ops & Community Natural Grocers, with a secondary code of CRAHALAG, Farm-to-Consumer Cooperative Markets (Local Producer Co-ops). Its NAICS code is 445 and its SIC code is 5400.