Modern food production and farming have a monumental part to play in the climate, nature and health crises that are being felt across the globe. But by shifting to sustainable systems that operate in harmony with nature, agriculture has the power to undo its damage and produce food that nourishes both people and planet.

How they do it

The Sustainable Food Trust has been advocating for a sustainable food system transition since its establishment in 2011 and has helped to bring concepts such as soil health and regenerative farming, which were once considered fairly ‘out there’, to the attention of food businesses, governments and the public. The Sustainable Food Trust is committed to identifying the practices and policies that should be part of our future food and farming systems, developing a robust case for change, and breaking down barriers to the transition. Through impactful campaigns, education projects, and research, in areas such as local abattoirs, sustainable diets, measuring and valuing farm sustainability, and true cost accounting, the Sustainable Food Trust is helping to make significant strides towards a fairer, more sustainable food system.

Recent achievements

• Defra’s decision to launch 2 new funds in support of smaller abattoirs is brilliant news for the UK’s farms and local food systems, and reflects the hard work put in by the Sustainable Food Trust and the Abattoir Sector Group over the 5 years since the release of the SFT’s 2019 report A Good Life and a Good Death.
• In 2024 the SFT’s Global Farm Metric (a holistic system for measuring on- farm sustainability) is being trialled on 300 farms in 11 countries across 5 continents, helping to make the framework as effective as possible, increase its adoption and enable farmers to assess the sustainability of their systems.
• 20 exemplary farms are now part of the SFT’s new Beacon Farms Network, which will bring together some of the country’s most inspiring sustainable farms to provide ‘seeing is believing’ experiences to young people, farmers and leaders. The network aims to showcase best practice, shift mindsets and empower citizens to play their part in enabling the transition, through votes and buying power.
• In 2023 and 2024, the SFT has been helping to deliver the 1st on-farm Green Social Prescribing pilot project of its kind in the UK, connecting patients with sustainably-run farms in the South West and enabling them to get involved in activities such as hedge laying, foraging and tasting of produce.
• The SFT is an active member of King Charles III’s Sustainable Markets Initiative and is working alongside 12 CEOs from some of the world’s most powerful agribusinesses to uncover the most effective ways of financing a transition to sustainable food and farming systems.

Why we think they’re great

We’re really behind SFT’s belief that policymakers and businesses will be empowered to act when there is sufficient pressure from informed public opinion. That’s why they take a multi-pronged approach, not only targeting senior policymakers, but also working with consumer groups and influential individuals to bring about change.