2023-12-31-accounts

REGISTERED COMPANY NUMBER: 03901671 (England and Wales) REGISTERED CHARITY NUMBER: 1101885

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES AND

UNAUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

FOR

FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

(A COMPANY LIMITED BY GUARANTEE)

Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA

FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

CONTENTS OF THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

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Report of the Trustees 1 to 10
Independent Examiner's Report 11
Statement of Financial Activities 12
Balance Sheet 13 to 14
Notes to the Financial Statements 15 to 22
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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

The trustees who are also directors of the charity for the purposes of the Companies Act 2006, present their report with the financial statements of the charity for the year ended 31st December 2023. The trustees have adopted the provisions of Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019).

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES Objectives and aims About the Food Ethics Council

The Food Ethics Council believes that we can have a better, fairer food system: where everyone eats well and hunger is a distant memory; where farmers and food producers make a decent living, animals are treated humanely, and the environment is respected.

Who we are

We are a registered charity and our work is not for profit. We are not affiliated to any political party or religious organisation. Our Council members are appointed as individuals. They bring a broad range of expertise to our work, from academic research through to practical knowledge of food, farming, business and policy. Our members lead our work in a voluntary capacity and our staff supports them through research, analysis and advocacy.

What we do

We work as an independent think-and-do tank, whose purpose is to bring ethics to the centre of food systems. We bring expertise together - providing the ethical tools and space for honest, thoughtful and nuanced dialogue. We challenge 'business as usual' and support stakeholders to consider the wider impacts of our food systems. Fundamentally, we work to promote considered, long-term solutions to real-world food systems problems, and we strive to provide a safe space for those in the food and farming sector wanting to be part of this shift. In this, we help to create an enabling environment, overcome barriers and design fairer ways in which food systems, their component parts and food businesses can operate. This is all in line with our mission: to accelerate the shift to fair and resilient food systems which respect people, animals and the planet.

Our Objects

1. To promote education for the public benefit in issues of ethics, economic and social studies, politics, science and public policy, as they relate to food and agriculture.

2. To promote for the public benefit research in any of the above fields of education and to publish the useful results of that research.

What we work on

Our work spans ethical concerns in food and farming, from care for the environment (including the climate and biodiversity crises) and animal welfare to social justice, from health & nutrition to socially equitable food systems. Our work is UK-focussed, but situated within a global ethical framework.

How we are funded

The Food Ethics Council is funded by a mixture of grant funding, selective consultancy, Business Forum membership and individual donations. The directors only accept funds that will not compromise the charity's independence.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES

Public benefit

In shaping our objectives and planning our activities for the year, the Trustees have given consideration to the duties set out in Section 17(5) of the Charities Act 2011 to have due regard to public benefit. In particular, the Trustees have considered how the planned activities will contribute to the overall aims and objectives that they have set.

The Trustees believe that the paragraphs above, and those in the section 'Achievement and Performance', convey in detail the benefits that the Charity provides to the public.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

ACHIEVEMENT AND PERFORMANCE

Overview of the year

The year 2023 marked 25 years since the organisation's inception. 25 years of facilitating a shift to fairer food systems that respect people, animals and the planet. We celebrated by doing what we do best - by convening and listening. In June we gathered at OmVed Gardens, a food project and green hub in North London, to celebrate and reimagine a fairer food system together. We invited friends old and new, funders, collaborators, allies, project participants and Business Forum members. We held a panel discussion with three inspiring women aged 25 and under to understand their priorities for a fairer food system. It was incredible to weave together three very different perspectives, from right across the supply chain, and to be both challenged and uplifted by the power of youth.

2023 saw food and agriculture rise higher up political and public agendas. We continued our deep dive into dairy, a complex microcosm that illustrates issues within the broader food system, with workshops held both online and in person, from the buzzing halls of the Oxford Real Farming Conference to the canteens of Yeo Valley in Somerset. Our dairy work took place against a backdrop of raising alarm bells for fairness within supply chains - we spoke out against loss leaders, power imbalances and abusive contracts, and advocated for a robust Code of Conduct. As the narrative and practice of 'public money for public goods' has grown, increasing emphasis has been put on public procurement as a powerful agent of change. We held an innovative and well-attended Food Policy on Trial, with speakers including NFU President Minette Batters. We explored: 'Should 80% of publicly procured food be sourced from the UK?'

With public concern over unfairness within the food system ramping up, including anger over corporate profiteering during a cost-of-living crisis and food environments that threaten public health, we heard increasingly that the public do care. We participated in the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission's groundbreaking National Conversation on Food and continued to cultivate the food citizenship movement. We focused on holding space for people and organisations to explore what food citizenship could mean to their work, and throughout 2023, our work on food citizenship became embedded across all of our - and many others' - work, with a growing number of organisations and projects shifting from 'consumer' to 'citizen' language.

Below we have captured highlights from our work in 2023.

We are supporting dairy farmers to transition to fairer, more ethical dairy systems

In our Dairy Project we have worked with dairy farmers and other stakeholders to identify opportunities for enabling fairer and more ethical dairy systems. 2023 saw a continuation of significant changes at both a global and national level, impacting the dairy sector and wider society. Increasing uncertainty about the future structure and viability of the UK's food landscape has reaffirmed our need to align the priorities of the Dairy Project with the farming community.

We hosted a workshop at Oxford Real Farming Conference to explore how to step off the dairy treadmill. Three inspiring farmers joined to share their experiences. Participants - a mix of farmers, policy makers, conservationists, vets and academics - shared concerns and hopes for dairy. We ran three online Innovation Workshops, which provided a space for farmers to collectively uncover the root causes of issues within dairy and identify levers for change. A key issue identified by farmers was the need for contract regulation to tackle power imbalances in the value chain, and improve clarity on pricing, exclusivity and notice periods. We coordinated an open joint letter, gathering signatories from across the sector to urge Defra to publish a thorough, properly enforced dairy Code of Conduct. This was covered in several publications including Farmers Weekly, and The Grocer.

In June we held a Business Forum meeting at Yeo Valley Organic Ltd in Somerset, to share farmers' insights with, and gather knowledge from, milk buyers, processors, and retailers - in recognition that these groups hold significant power. Together, we explored changes that processors and retailers are making - and need to make - to support fairer, more ethical dairy. The team was mobile in 2023, represented at events from Dumfries to Crewkerne. We collected stories of change, via a series of case studies, which included inspiring examples from across the UK, such as the Roaming Dairy Ltd at the Kingsclere Estate.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

Our final report focused on five key asks:

• End the sale of milk as a loss-leading product

• Raise the standards in processed dairy products

• Create secure, fair and flexible contracts

• Pass premiums on the shelf down to farmers

• Create a regional relief labour milking pool

These sorts of systemic changes require everyone to work together, so we recommended actions for retailers, landowners, processors, food services, financial services, policy makers, and the education sector, as well as farmers and farming unions.

Cultivating the food citizenship movement: Holding space, growing roots

Throughout 2023, our work on food citizenship shifted from being a standalone project, towards becoming embedded across all of our - and many others' - work. It has been brilliant to witness a growing number of organisations and projects shift from 'consumer' to 'citizen' language and adopt a food citizenship framework.

Food citizenship is about connecting people with their power in the food system. We understand that people are more than what they consume, and that shifting how we think about people (and ourselves) is a critical first step for building fairer, more resilient food systems. This year we focused on holding space for people and organisations to explore what food citizenship could mean to their work, trialling monthly online drop-ins for people to come together and learn how to meaningfully involve people in the food system, share questions, concerns, hopes and ideas. These were attended by people from across academia, community organising and emergency food provision. Food Citizenship Socials took place in Belfast, London, Coventry and Manchester. We also launched a series of Food Citizen Stories - in-depth interviews with people, businesses and organisations that are working to engage and empower people in the food system.

In September we launched some food citizenship work designed specifically for those working in foodservice. This emerged from the recognition that foodservice organisations work directly with members of the public, yet tend to receive little attention in efforts to improve social responsibility and sustainability in the food system. We held an online event, where Carolyn Ball, Director for Delivery of Net Zero at Compass Group, and Arthur Potts Dawson, chef and innovator, shared insights, with the aim of empowering foodservice leaders to meaningfully involve people as citizens, and encouraging collaboration with other like-minded organisations toward collective goals.

Our work on food citizenship took place against a backdrop of growing noise over the importance of citizen engagement and participation. Big business and government use narratives of 'consumer demand' to justify ecologically and socially damaging practices, or to justify inaction against these. But what do people really think, when given the space to connect, reflect, and share ideas? In 2023, the Food Farming and Countryside Commission launched the pilot phase of the National Conversation on Food to explore what people really want from food. As meaningful participation is close to our hearts, we played an advisory role to the public engagement specialists. Our Executive Director also got involved on-the-ground as a 'roving expert' at the pilot public dialogue sessions in Cambridgeshire, reflecting that there was 'appetite for transformative change among the public'. Citizens clearly want food to be fairer, healthier, and greener - and they overwhelmingly back government intervention to make this happen. In 2024, the Food Conversation is being rolled out across all four nations of the UK, and we're delighted that our Executive Director is chairing the Advisory Group for this important initiative.

Enabling fair, ethical business

Our Business Forum is a community of changemakers in food and farming businesses. Through a mix of in-person dinner meetings and online workshops, members come together to discuss latest challenges, exchange ideas and best practice, and support one another to make bold, positive changes. Our Business Forums provide a unique opportunity to engage businesses with some of the most pressing moral issues in food and farming, and we use our unique position as convenors and facilitators to share insights gained from our project work with business executives, to enable system-wide change.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

In 2023, we held five in-person Business Forum dinner meetings and four online meetings. These covered a diverse range of relevant topics including:

• Sound the consumer alarm: What difference for food brands if there were no longer 'consumers', only food citizens?

• Common sense regulation: What kind of regulations should food & farming businesses demand for fairer food systems?

• From greenwash to greenhush: When should and shouldn't food businesses make environmental and health claims?

• The ethics of self-sufficiency: Should UK food and farming sectors support a target for greater self-sufficiency?

• Dairy demands: Shaping collective asks for a fairer dairy sector.

We publish non-attributed write-ups from discussions, to allow others to benefit from these insights. We have an exciting programme for 2024, with a mix of in-person dinner events and online meetings, with our Business Forum members helping set the agenda.

Throughout 2023, our Executive Director Dan Crossley continued to write a regular monthly column for The Grocer, a leading food sector magazine. This platform provides an excellent opportunity to engage a wider range of business leaders. Dan writes articles that aim to both challenge and inspire food businesses.

Decolonising our food system

In 2023, we were approached by Feedback Global to engage in an anti-racism fellowship programme which seeks to build structural change in the progressive food and farming sector, by centring BPOC voices and leadership. Through fostering new cross sector partnerships between environmental and social justice organisations, the fellowship programme aims to create opportunities for dialogue and action between partners, as well as help develop young BPOC talent to move the sector closer to a renewed antiracist vision of a regenerative food system. We partnered with the Blueprint Architects Group, a BPOC food justice collective in Tower Hamlets and in December 2023 our brilliant Fellow, Sumayyah, was recruited. Already we have begun to explore allyship, community building and the dismantling of oppressive structures within the food system. This collaboration is part of our ongoing commitment to understanding the colonialist foundations of our current food system, centring and resourcing marginalised voices, and working toward building a socially just, decolonial and reparative food system.

We are challenging policy to be fairer for all

Our work in 2023 continued to promote fair, inclusive and bold policymaking. We take pride in our connections and knowledge of the UK policy landscape and continue to publish practical, timely and well-evidenced responses to key policy announcements. With a General Election on the horizon, we used our 25th birthday event to co-design five key principles for fair policymaking. Our workshop sought to establish a clear and simple approach to policymaking, addressing fundamental questions. Ideas were shared, discussed, interrogated and refined into five key principles, emphasising that policy should: be informed by those affected, address root causes - not symptoms, prioritise public good over private interest, use a rights-based framework, and be cross-departmental.

We continue to be involved in joint advocacy and respond to key relevant government consultations. We also continue to run our Food Policy on Trial series, where we critically explore bold policy ideas with the help of expert witnesses, a 'jury' of members of the Food Ethics Council and a wider audience. We believe in a fair policymaking process - including meaningful engagement of people as food citizens where appropriate. We will continue to promote fair and inclusive policymaking, and to explore bold policy solutions in 2024.

We are bringing our food ethics insights to bear

We are nourishing a space for changemakers via our #FoodTalks series, in partnership with others and we continue to promote tools and resources to enable 'in the round' decision-making and to address injustices in food and farming. Through speaking platforms, in the media, in blogs, on social media and in meetings and workshops, we continue to push for a food system that is fair and resilient for people, planet and animals - with ethics at its centre.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

Keeping our eyes on…

Alongside our larger, ongoing projects and collaborations, we remained responsive and engaged in a number of other ethical topics, including gene editing and food security. Our Executive Director chaired a thought-provoking and highly attended webinar: 'Opening the Door to Gene Editing in the UK: Farm Animals, Pets and Wild Nature', organised by Beyond GM. Food security was a hot topic throughout 2023, with many pointing to the public purse as a powerful agent of change in this area. We brought back our innovative Food Policy on Trial event in November, to critically explore the radical policy idea: Should there be a target for 80% of publicly procured food to be sourced from the UK? The target was intentionally challenging and raised a number of important questions. Speakers included Minette Batters, then President of the NFU, and Tim Radcliffe, Net Zero Food Programme Manager, NHS England. The full report, summarising expert evidence and the response of our panel of jurors, can be found on our website.

Thank you to all those that have supported us

We would like to thank everyone that has been part of our collective mission this year. We particularly want to thank our funders for being so supportive in challenging times. These include Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, sankalpa and JAM Today. We also want to thank the staff team, Council members and all those that have interacted with us in 2023 to help us deliver the wide-ranging impacts that we have.

FINANCIAL REVIEW

Financial position

Total incoming resources for the year amounted to £152,569, £48,249 restricted and £104,320 unrestricted, (2022: £121,298, £71,667 restricted and £49,631 unrestricted) and total expenditure amounted to £164,959, £91,945 restricted and £73,014 unrestricted (2022: £136,524, £77,101 restricted and £59,423 unrestricted). The total net outgoing resources for the year amounted to £12,390 (2022: outgoing: £15,226). Net outgoings of £43,696, (2022: £5,434) were used on restricted projects which now total £nil (2022; £43,696) There is a net surplus for the year of £31,306 (2022: net deficit £9,792) on unrestricted general reserves which now stand at £43,443 (2022: £12,137).

Reserves policy

The Food Ethics Council's reserves policy is that the unrestricted reserve level should normally be equal to four to six months of the anticipated expenditure from unrestricted funds for the following year. Unrestricted reserves at the end of 2023 did not fall within the terms of the policy. However, we kept this under close scrutiny, with the strong likelihood of additional funds being received in early 2024. We are working with the staff team to further strengthen our longer-term financial security. The Food Ethics Council recognises that it may be appropriate to allow the reserve to fluctuate as a result of short-term cash inflows and outflows.

Risk Review

The Trustees have concluded their own review of the major risks to which the charity is exposed and systems have been established to manage those risks. Significant external risks to funding have led to the development of a strategic plan, which will allow for the continued diversification of funding and activities. Internal risks are minimised by the implementation of procedures for authorisation of all transactions and projects and to ensure consistent quality of delivery for all operational aspects of the charitable company. These procedures are periodically reviewed to ensure that they still meet the needs of the charity.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

FUTURE PLANS

Looking ahead

In 2024, together we can shape a brighter food future for all. We want to help unleash the potential for fair food systems to flourish. We cannot address critical questions alone and we seek participation, partnership and support from others working for fair, ecologically sound, nutritious, humane food systems and others using food as the entry point to address big societal and environmental challenges.

Whether you are using and sharing our resources, engaging in events, joining our networks or supporting us financially, our ability to build more just, resilient and joyful food futures relies on collaboration. If we work together, we can collectively flourish.

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Status

The organisation is a charitable company limited by guarantee, incorporated on 4 January 2000 and registered as a charity on 3 February 2004.

The company was established under a Memorandum of Association, which established the objectives and powers of the charitable company and is governed under its Articles of Association. Under those articles, one-third of the Trustees (those who have been longest in office since their last appointment) must retire from office at the Annual General Meeting.

The Members have guaranteed to contribute a maximum of £10 each in the event of the company being wound up.

Charity constitution

The Food Ethics Council was established in 1998. The company was previously called the Independent Council for Ethical Standards in Food and Agriculture Limited. The company name was changed to the Food Ethics Council by special resolution at a meeting on 4 November 2003. By special resolution at the same meeting the Memorandum and Articles of Association were amended.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

STRUCTURE, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT

Membership

The council consists of up to twenty members at any time, including scientists, philosophers, farmers and civil society leaders. The members elect trustees (directors) who are responsible for managing the charity. These are listed on page 8. We have operated a rotating Chair model since 2016, whereby a different trustee takes over the role of Chair for a defined period on a rotating basis. This proved successful in involving trustees even more deeply in our work, so we have continued this in 2023 and into 2024. We did an open recruitment in late 2022, with six new Council members joining during 2023. At the end of 2023, there were 17 Council members:

Christina Adane: Campaigner Lucy Aphramor: Associate Professor, Gender, Power and Right to Food Dr Jason Archie-Acheampong: Entrepreneur and Programmes Manager Dr Julian Baggini: Freelance writer/ philosopher (Chair 2023) Chloe Donovan, Founder, Hundred River Farm CIC Dr Nigel Dower, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Philosophy, University of Aberdeen Ralph Early: Independent Food Scientist and Food Ethicist (Chair 2022) Steph Ellis: Food Strategy Lead for Cheshire West Voluntary Action

Professor Moya Kneafsey: Research Centre Director, the Centre for Agroecology, Water & Resilience, Coventry University Patrick Mulvany: Agriculturalist; Director, Kamayoq; Hon. Research Fellow, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience (CAWR), Coventry University

Ian Pigott OBE: Regenerative farmer Pete Ritchie: Director of Nourish Scotland; organic farmer

Dr Alexandra Sexton: Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow, Department of Geography, the University of Sheffield Elta Smith: Independent researcher, writer and consultant Albert Tucker: Independent consultant, advisor and social entrepreneur (Chair 2024) Patti Whaley: Retired, Non-Executive Director

Deirdre (Dee) Woods: Co-founder Granville Community Kitchen; member GLA London Food Board

Four Council members resigned during the year: Jon Alexander: Founder of the New Citizenship Project Professor Elizabeth Dowler: Emeritus Professor of Food and Social Policy, University of Warwick Ruth Layton: Founder and Director, Sankalpa Joanna Lewis: Chief Executive, Wiltshire Wildlife Trust

Organisational structure

The charity is run by the Board comprising the Trustees who delegate the day to day running to the Executive Director, Dan Crossley.

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES

FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

REFERENCE AND ADMINISTRATIVE DETAILS Registered Company number 03901671 (England and Wales)

Registered Charity number 1101885

Registered office

Kings Cross Hub 34b York Way London N1 9AB

Trustees

Ms P Whaley R Early Dr N Dower Ms C Donovan Dr J Baggini Mr A Tucker Ms E Smith (appointed 17/1/2024)

Company Secretary

Mr D Crossley

Independent Examiner

Dr Shona F Wardrop C.A. Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA

Bankers

Triodos Bank Deanery Road Bristol BS1 5AS

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

STATEMENT OF TRUSTEES' RESPONSIBILITIES

The trustees (who are also the directors of Food Ethics Council for the purposes of company law) are responsible for preparing the Report of the Trustees and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

Company law requires the trustees to prepare financial statements for each financial year which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company and of the incoming resources and application of resources, including the income and expenditure, of the charitable company for that period. In preparing those financial statements, the trustees are required to

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• observe the methods and principles in the Charity SORP;

• make judgements and estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the charitable company will continue in business.

The trustees are responsible for keeping proper accounting records which disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the charitable company and to enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the charitable company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

Approved by order of the board of trustees on 19[th] September 2024 and signed on its behalf by:

Mr A Tucker - Trustee

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INDEPENDENT EXAMINER'S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

Independent examiner's report to the trustees of Food Ethics Council ('the Company')

I report to the charity trustees on my examination of the accounts of the Company for the year ended 31st December 2023.

Responsibilities and basis of report

As the charity's trustees of the Company (and also its directors for the purposes of company law) you are responsible for the preparation of the accounts in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 ('the 2006 Act').

Having satisfied myself that the accounts of the Company are not required to be audited under Part 16 of the 2006 Act and are eligible for independent examination, I report in respect of my examination of your charity's accounts as carried out under Section 145 of the Charities Act 2011 ('the 2011 Act'). In carrying out my examination I have followed the Directions given by the Charity Commission under Section 145(5) (b) of the 2011 Act.

Independent examiner's statement

I have completed my examination. I confirm that no matters have come to my attention in connection with the examination giving me cause to believe:

1. accounting records were not kept in respect of the Company as required by Section 386 of the 2006 Act; or

2. the accounts do not accord with those records; or

3. the accounts do not comply with the accounting requirements of Section 396 of the 2006 Act other than any requirement that the accounts give a true and fair view which is not a matter considered as part of an independent examination; or

4. the accounts have not been prepared in accordance with the methods and principles of the Statement of Recommended Practice for accounting and reporting by charities (applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102)).

I have no concerns and have come across no other matters in connection with the examination to which attention should be drawn in this report in order to enable a proper understanding of the accounts to be reached.

Dr Shona F Wardrop C.A.

Chariot House Limited Chartered Accountants 44 Grand Parade Brighton East Sussex BN2 9QA

Date: 25[th] September 2024

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES (INCORPORATING AN INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT) FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

Unrestricted funds Notes £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Donations and legacies 2 50,824 Charitable activities 4 Subscriptions and other primary purpose trading 21,006 Charitable Grant 32,250 Investment income 3 240 Total 104,320 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities 5 Charitable activities 73,014 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) 31,306 RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 12,137 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 43,443	Restricted funds £ - - 48,249 - 48,249 91,945 (43,696) 43,696 -	2023 Total funds £ 50,824 21,006 80,499 240 152,569 164,959 (12,390) 55,833 43,443	2022 Total funds £ - 18,493 102,767 38 121,298 136,524 (15,226) 71,059 55,833

CONTINUING OPERATIONS

All income and expenditure has arisen from continuing activities.

The notes form part of these financial statements

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL (REGISTERED NUMBER: 03901671)

BALANCE SHEET 31ST DECEMBER 2023

Unrestricted Restricted funds funds Notes £ £ CURRENT ASSETS Debtors 11 14,311 - Cash at bank 34,636 - 48,947 - CREDITORS Amounts falling due within one year 12 (5,504) - NET CURRENT ASSETS 43,443 - TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES 43,443 - NET ASSETS 43,443 - FUNDS 13 Unrestricted funds: General fund Restricted funds TOTAL FUNDS	2023 Total funds £ 14,311 34,636 48,947 (5,504) 43,443 43,443 43,443 43,443 - 43,443	2022 Total funds £ 5,396 55,721 61,117 (5,284) 55,833 55,833 55,833 12,137 43,696 55,833

The charitable company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the year ended 31st December 2023.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the year ended 31st December 2023 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The trustees acknowledge their responsibilities for

• (a) ensuring that the charitable company keeps accounting records that comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

• (b) preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the charitable company as at the end of each financial year and of its surplus or deficit for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the charitable company.

The notes form part of these financial statements

continued...

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL (REGISTERED NUMBER: 03901671)

BALANCE SHEET - continued 31ST DECEMBER 2023

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to charitable companies subject to the small companies regime.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Trustees and authorised for issue on 19[th] September 2024 and were signed on its behalf by:

Mr A Tucker - Trustee

The notes form part of these financial statements

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting basis and standards

The financial statements of the charitable company, which is a public benefit entity under FRS 102, have been prepared in accordance with the Charities SORP (FRS 102) 'Accounting and Reporting by Charities: Statement of Recommended Practice applicable to charities preparing their accounts in accordance with the Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (FRS 102) (effective 1 January 2019)', Financial Reporting Standard 102 'The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland' and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling which is the functional currency of the entity, and are rounded to the nearest £1.

At the time of approving the financial statements, the trustees have a reasonable expectation that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future, and on that basis the charity is considered to be a going concern.

Income

All income is recognised in the Statement of Financial Activities once the charity has entitlement to the funds, it is probable that the income will be received and the amount can be measured reliably.

Expenditure

Liabilities are recognised as expenditure as soon as there is a legal or constructive obligation committing the charity to that expenditure, it is probable that a transfer of economic benefits will be required in settlement and the amount of the obligation can be measured reliably. Expenditure is accounted for on an accruals basis and has been classified under headings that aggregate all cost related to the category. Where costs cannot be directly attributed to particular headings they have been allocated to activities on a basis consistent with the use of resources.

Taxation

The Charity is considered to pass the tests set out in Paragraph 1 Schedule 6 Finance Act 2010 and therefore it meets the definition of a charitable company for UK Corporation Tax purposes. Accordingly the Charity is potentially exempt from taxation in respect of income or capital gains received within categories covered by Chapter 3 Part 11 Corporation Tax Act 2010 or Section 256 of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992, to the extent that such income or gains are applied exclusively to charitable purposes.

Funds

Unrestricted Funds are donations and other incoming resources receivable or generated for the objects of the charity without further specified purpose and are available as general funds.

Restricted funds are to be used for specific purposes as laid down by the donor. Expenditure which meets these criteria is charged to the fund, together with a fair allocation of management and support costs.

Pension costs and other post-retirement benefits

The charitable company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the charitable company's pension scheme are charged to the Statement of Financial Activities in the period to which they relate.

Fixed assets

Recognition and measurement

Fixed assets are measured at cost less accumulated depreciation and any accumulated impairment losses.

continued...

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FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL

NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

1. ACCOUNTING POLICIES - continued

Fixed assets

Depreciation is calculated on a straight line method. Depreciation is provided to write down the cost less estimated residual values of tangible fixed assets over their estimated lives at annual rates of:

Fixtures, Fittings and Equipment 25% per annum

The company capitalises fixed assets with a value in excess of £500.

Judgements and key sources of estimation uncertainty

In the application of the charity's accounting policies, the charity is required to make judgments, estimates and assumptions about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised, if the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods if the revision affects both the current and future periods.

There are no estimates and assumptions that are considered to have a significant risk of causing a material adjustments to the financial statements in a future period.

Financial instruments

The charity has only financial assets and financial liabilities of a kind that qualify as basic financial instruments. Basic financial instruments are initially recognised at transaction value and are subsequently measured at their settlement value with the exception of bank loans which are measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

Financial Assets

Trade and other debtors are recognised at the settlement amount due after any trade discount offered. Prepayments are valued at the amount prepaid net of any discounts due.

Financial Liabilities

Creditors and provisions are recognised where the charity has a present obligation resulting from a past event that will probably result in the transfer of funds to a third party and the amount due to settle the obligation can be measured or estimated reliably. Creditors and provisions are normally recognised at their settlement amount after allowing for any discounts due.

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

2. DONATIONS AND LEGACIES Donations 3. INVESTMENT INCOME Interest receivable - trading 4. INCOME FROM CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Grants Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust Arnold Clark Community Fund AW60 Esmee Fairbairn Foundation JAM Today Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation Oursankalpa CIC	2023 £ 50,824 2023 £ 240 2023 £ 33,249 - 750 5,000 15,000 10,000 16,500 80,499	2022 £ -
		2022 £ 38 2022 £ 11,767 1,000 - 50,000 15,000 10,000 15,000 102,767

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5. CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES COSTS

Charitable activities 6. DIRECT COSTS OF CHARITABLE ACTIVITIES Staff costs Recruitment Other Costs Activity Costs Premises Costs Accountancy 7. NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) Net income/(expenditure) is stated after charging/(crediting): Independent Examiner's fee	Direct Costs (see note 6) £ 164,959 2023 2022 £ £ 138,791 112,793 - 1,134 5,366 4,399 11,437 8,885 7,709 7,693 1,656 1,620 164,959 136,524 2023 2022 £ £ 1,356 1,320

8. TRUSTEES' REMUNERATION AND BENEFITS

There were no trustees' remuneration or other benefits for the year ended 31st December 2023 nor for the year ended 31st December 2022.

Trustees' expenses

Travel and subsistence costs amounting to £362 (2022: £285) were reimbursed to 3 Trustees (2022: 3 Trustees)

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9. STAFF COSTS

Wages and salaries Social security costs Other pension costs	2023 £ 128,808 6,496 3,487 138,791	2022 £ 106,010 4,390 2,393 112,793

The Average Number of Employees on a Full Time Equivalent basis is 3 (2022: 3.)

The average monthly number of employees during the year was as follows:

Total

2023	2022
5	5

No employees received emoluments in excess of £60,000.

Key Management (being Trustees and Executive Director) emoluments (comprising gross salary, employers' national insurance and employers' pension) amounted to £48,498 (2022: £44,554)

10. COMPARATIVES FOR THE STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL ACTIVITIES Unrestricted funds £ INCOME AND ENDOWMENTS FROM Charitable activities Subscriptions and other primary purpose trading 18,493 Charitable Grant 31,100 Investment income 38 Total 49,631 EXPENDITURE ON Charitable activities Charitable activities 59,423 NET INCOME/(EXPENDITURE) (9,792) RECONCILIATION OF FUNDS Total funds brought forward 21,929 TOTAL FUNDS CARRIED FORWARD 12,137	Restricted funds £ - 71,667 - 71,667 77,101 (5,434) 49,130 43,696	Total funds £ 18,493 102,767 38 121,298 136,524 (15,226) 71,059 55,833

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

11. DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Trade debtors 12. CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR Social security and other taxes Accruals and deferred income 13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS At 1/1/23 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 12,137 Restricted funds Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 43,643 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm 53 43,696 TOTAL FUNDS 55,833 Net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources £ Unrestricted funds General fund 104,320 Restricted funds Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation 10,000 Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 5,000 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm 33,249 48,249 TOTAL FUNDS 152,569

2023 2022 £ £ 14,311 5,396 2023 2022 £ £ 3,244 3,046 2,260 2,238 5,504 5,284 Net movement At in funds 31/12/23 £ £ 31,306 43,443 (43,643) - (53) - (43,696) - (12,390) 43,443 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (73,014) 31,306 (10,000) - (48,643) (43,643) (33,302) (53) (91,945) (43,696) (164,959) (12,390)

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NOTES TO THE FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - continued FOR THE YEAR ENDED 31ST DECEMBER 2023

13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

Comparatives for movement in funds

At 1/1/22 £ Unrestricted funds General fund 19,495 JRCT Unleashing Food Citizenship 2,434 21,929 Restricted funds The A Team Foundation 6,473 Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 42,657 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm - 49,130 TOTAL FUNDS 71,059 Comparative net movement in funds, included in the above are as follows: Incoming resources £ Unrestricted funds General fund 49,531 JRCT Unleashing Food Citizenship 100 49,631 Restricted funds Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation 10,000 The A Team Foundation - Esmee Fairbairn Foundation 50,000 JRCT Making Food Citizenship the Norm 11,667 71,667 TOTAL FUNDS 121,298

Net movement At in funds 31/12/22 £ £ (7,358) 12,137 (2,434) - (9,792) 12,137 (6,473) - 986 43,643 53 53 (5,434) 43,696 (15,226) 55,833 Resources Movement expended in funds £ £ (56,889) (7,358) (2,534) (2,434) (59,423) (9,792) (10,000) - (6,473) (6,473) (49,014) 986 (11,614) 53 (77,101) (5,434) (136,524) (15,226)

2023- restricted grants

Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation is supporting our successful Food Policy on Trial series, putting important contentious food-related policy issues 'in the dock' at a critical time.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation grant is to help us initiate a farmer-led transition to fairer, more ethical dairy systems.

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13. MOVEMENT IN FUNDS - continued

JRCT - Making Food Citizenship the Norm grant supports work to accelerate the growth of the food citizenship movement to replace the dominant consumer mindset; and to nurture a space that builds community food resilience in the UK, allowing people/ communities to thrive.

2022 - restricted grants

Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation is supporting our successful Food Policy on Trial series, putting important contentious food-related policy issues 'in the dock' at a critical time

The A Team Foundation grant was for work to reframe poverty using food citizenship and to establish what community food organisations can do to build community food resilience.

Esmée Fairbairn Foundation grant is to help us initiate a farmer-led transition to fairer, more ethical dairy systems.

JRCT - Making Food Citizenship the Norm grant supports work to accelerate the growth of the food citizenship movement to replace the dominant consumer mindset; and to nurture a space that builds community food resilience in the UK, allowing people/ communities to thrive.

14. RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

During the year, the wife of the Executive Director made a donation of £40,000.

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