THE FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL
The Food Ethics Council brings people to the table to think deeply about, and to navigate ways through, critical ethical challenges in the food system. It does a mix of convening, research and advocacy across a range of food and farming issues, from GM crops to food poverty.
Financial health, per its FY2025 accounts
The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £108,018 for the year, with unrestricted general reserves increasing significantly to £121,885. The trustees confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The organization is funded by a mixture of grant funding, consultancy, and donations, with no stated reserves policy target being breached.
What the accounts disclose
“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.” — page 8
Year-over-year changes
- Reserves position vs the charity's own policy moved from "below" (FY2024) to "within" (FY2025).
Trustees
- Elta Smithchair
- Albert Tucker
- Chloe Donovan
- Dr Julian Baggini
- Dr Pam Davis
- Mx Lucy Aphramor
- Ralph Early
Income and spending
| Financial year end | Income | Spending |
|---|---|---|
| 31/12/2025 | £214k | £106k |
| 31/12/2024 | £118k | £133k |
| 31/12/2023 | £153k | £165k |
| 31/12/2022 | £150k | £131k |
| 31/12/2021 | £150k | £131k |
Common questions
Is THE FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL financially healthy?
Per its FY2025 accounts: The accounts state that the charity achieved a net surplus of £108,018 for the year, with unrestricted general reserves increasing significantly to £121,885. The trustees confirm that the charity has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The organization is funded by a mixture of grant funding, consultancy, and donations, with no stated reserves policy target being breached. Its FY2025 accounts were independently examined.
Who funds THE FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL?
Funders whose own accounts filings name THE FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL as a grant recipient include THE A TEAM FOUNDATION LIMITED, THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST, POLDEN PUCKHAM CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
Known funders
| Funder | Year | Amount | Purpose (as stated by the funder) |
|---|---|---|---|
| THE A TEAM FOUNDATION LIMITED | FY2023 | £501k | |
| THE JOSEPH ROWNTREE CHARITABLE TRUST | FY2022 | £53k | Making food citizenship the norm |
| THE A TEAM FOUNDATION LIMITED | FY2022 | £15k | |
| POLDEN PUCKHAM CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | FY2023 | £10k | |
| POLDEN PUCKHAM CHARITABLE FOUNDATION | FY2022 | £10k | Environmental Sustainability |
| THE A TEAM FOUNDATION LIMITED | FY2025 | £5k |
Funders of similar charities
| Funder | Similar charities funded | Amount to them |
|---|---|---|
| THE ROTHSCHILD FOUNDATION | 3 | £966k |
| THE AURORA TRUST | 2 | £259k |
| H C D MEMORIAL FUND | 2 | £60k |
| THE GREEN HALL FOUNDATION | 2 | £5k |
| FUND THEIR FUTURE | 1 | — |
| THE JENOUR FOUNDATION | 1 | — |
| THE REED FOUNDATION | 1 | — |
| THE MASTER CHARITABLE TRUST | 1 | £1.4m |
Charities like this
- THE FEED FOUNDATION
- FFCC LIMITED
- SUSTAINABLE FOOD TRUST
- FOOD FOUNDATION
- THE FOOD AND DRINK TRAINING AND EDUCATION COUNCIL LIMITED
- Foodrise
Side by side with its peers
| Charity | Income | Top pay band | Staff >£60k | Reserves vs policy | Fundraising cost | Going concern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE FOOD ETHICS COUNCIL | £214k | — | 0 | within | — | no doubt |
| THE FEED FOUNDATION | £1.5m | — | 0 | below | — | no doubt |
| FFCC LIMITED | £695k | £80,001 - £90,000 | — | above | — | no doubt |
| SUSTAINABLE FOOD TRUST | £1.7m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| FOOD FOUNDATION | £2.0m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |
| THE FOOD AND DRINK TRAINING AND EDUCATION COUNCIL LIMITED | £1.5m | — | — | unclear | — | no doubt |