Better Food is a business on a mission: to create a better, fairer food community — one that cares for both people and planet.

One issue that comes up with increasing frequency is about our continued decision to sell animal products. It’s complex, so worth unpacking and explaining.

We agree with Chris Packham:

‘Thinking about eating no, less or better-quality meat or dairy needs to be on our agenda.
As does a better understanding of the way modern farming practices are shaping our world and
how we can work together with farmers to improve these for everything and everyone’s benefit.’

plantbasednews.org, January 2019

We prioritise organic

Our sourcing policy, in a nutshell, companywide, prioritises organic, and where we cannot source something organic then it must be local, and at the very least ethical.

Organic farming integrates a range of practices and disciplines into one holistic system that focuses on working in harmony with nature and protecting the soil on which we rely for farming. It does this by avoiding potentially harmful synthetic fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides and by adapting to local conditions and biodiversity.

Animal husbandry is a central part of the organic farming system of rotation and regeneration, which also includes the production of grains, legumes and roots and builds in recovery time, crucial to keep the soil nitrogen-rich, fertile and productive.

The organic meat and dairy we sell has Soil Association organic certification. Soil Association Certification operate a rigorous process which is robustly controlled and audited. Animals on organic farms are never part of intensive or industrial farming systems, as this isn’t a practice that is allowed in the standards.

When it comes to free range or regenerative farming, we still vet the farms and carefully choose who we work with, the case being that the farms tend to use organic principles but without certification.

See www.soilassociation.org and www.ifoam.bio for details about organic farming.

Why do we sell meat and dairy?

Rearing animals for food is a big responsibility, and when we choose our suppliers, we look for farmers who are careful, compassionate and above all have respect for the animals they rear. We do actually get our wellies on and visit the farms we are supplied by.

Better Food are happy to continue to sell meat and dairy that is produced to these standards, giving our customers important and valued access to meat and dairy products we can all have faith in. We generally advocate an eat-less-but-better-meat approach, and sell many plant-based products to support this.

What do we mean by ethical?

The word ‘ethical’ means different things in different contexts. It may mean being vegan, or not selling drugs, or watching out for medical malpractice or discrimination … To us, it means being fair and stringent in our sourcing policy, and actively making sure our business gives people an alternative to crippling inequalities in the food system. It also means looking at things like packaging, plastic and waste management.