Better Food Traders Accreditation

“Together we’ll make the food system better* for people and the planet” is the bold headline on the Better Food Traders website. “Better”, the asterisk clarifies, refers to a food system that is Local, Seasonal, Healthy, Sustainable, Fairly Traded, Low Carbon, and Kind to People. The Better Food Traders is a collection of ethical enterprises – ourselves included – that sell sustainably grown fruit and veg, and share a desire for a food system that supports and respects growers, has minimal impact on the planet, and promotes a healthier and more just relationship with food. 

Choosing to spend with a Better Food Trader generates positive impacts beyond the fantastic food you receive in your veg box. Earlier this year, the New Economics Foundation conducted a study into the value generated with each £1 spent at Growing Communities, a veg box scheme based in Hackney, London, and the founding member of the Better Food Traders. Their report concluded that for every £1 spent, a further £3.70 in value is generated. A comparative figure could be extrapolated for other similar enterprises. This includes value for customers, employees, growers, the environment, and food processors. Whether it’s improved farmer well-being granted by a secure income, or the health benefits conferred by eating good-quality food, the spend you make with a Better Food Trader makes a positive difference. In contrast, it has been estimated that for the food system as a whole, for each £1 spent the environment and society suffer similar costs, for example through damaged ecosystems, antibiotic resistance, or negative health implications. 

When you choose to shop with us, or any other Better Food Trader, you are supporting a bigger movement for change. The Better Food Traders network is on a mission to provide an ethically-driven alternative to the mainstream, big business food system. We make it easy for people to choose climate- and people- friendly food whilst also working together to prove we can change the food system.

To become an accredited Better Food Trader we had to align to every one of these principles:

• Mission driven, trading for social purpose, not to maximise profit
• Building supply chain transparency, trust and cooperation
• Sourcing food sustainably, using the food zones as a framework
• Trading fairly
• Championing ecological farming and food production
• Promoting a diet that is good for both people and planet
• Distributing food in a low-carbon, low-impact way
• Building a strong community in support of our work
• Striving to change the big picture

Keep an eye on our social media, website and newsletters for more information about how we're aligning with these principles.

Change starts at home