FNET’s overall intended impact is to realise improved livelihoods and working conditions of people within, and communities affected by, the operations and supply chains of member organisations.

As part of the Theory of Change, FNET tracks progress over time. including qualitative and quantitative measures. Every year, the team review the effectiveness and impact of each working group and of overall project delivery.

For the financial year 2025-26, prices range from £4187 to £7581, according to the size of the business. There is an additional cost for new members to cover the tailored onboarding journey and introduction to human rights.

Why not hear from our members themselves?

“We were looking to join a network of industry peers and professionals seeking to drive positive impact in human rights. Being such a huge and important area of our focus, we felt it important to find a collaborative platform to help guide our work and FNET’s offering of group support and expert input ticked every box. So far, we have found our membership invaluable in helping progress our human rights strategy.” Ashleigh Horn, Responsible Sourcing Manager, COOK.

“Cranswick have chosen to join FNET in order to strengthen the knowledge of our company around supply chain risks relating to human rights and sustainability. We were impressed by the vast range of subject matter that is covered by FNET, and which will enable us to upskill our teams and guarantee that we are at the forefront of any forthcoming legislation or business critical matters. There is immediate accessibility to information via the website and the regular calls ensure that the information being provided is up to date and relevant. The working groups and in-person meetings also help our teams to network with like-minded colleagues from across the industry.” Miranda Spencer, Group HR Director, Cranswick

FNET is a membership organisation that supports businesses in the food industry to embed ethical trade and human rights practices across their supply chains. FNET prides itself on creating a safe space for businesses to come together and discuss common challenges. It provides a collaborative space for members to share challenges, build professional competency, and align approaches to responsible sourcing.

In the field of human rights, a safe space is integral for people to feel comfortable sharing the challenges they face. We know how much our members value this, and members frequently report how their membership of FNET has enabled them to advance their human rights programme and reduce risk across their supply chains.

FNET supports its members to openly share challenges, build professional competency, reduce duplication and to align approaches to human rights. All of FNET’s work is geared towards the following outputs:

• Businesses adopt common practical tools and approaches, and transparently report on progress.
• FNET identifies, prioritises and facilitates collective action on systemic issues.

FNET achieves this by bringing members together in fortnightly calls, in bi-annual all-member meetings and across five working groups. The working groups focus on:

• Climate change and human rights
• Raw materials and services
• Developing common due diligence tools
• Responsible recruitment
• Empowering work

FNET’s vision is a fair, equitable, and resilient food system where people are able to realise their human rights. This includes safe working conditions, living wages, environmental sustainability, and access to culturally appropriate food.

FNET aims to realise this vision through a series of thematic working groups, networking events, knowledge sharing, co-creating tools, and collaborating with others. We also provide members with a weekly news update and a tailored journey for new members.

FNET supports its members as they progress on their journey to improved human rights in various ways, including:

• Offering tailored onboarding through its “new member journey”
• Direct and specific support according to the company’s human rights due diligence framework
• Facilitating knowledge sharing and peer learning, through weekly news roundups, fortnightly calls and in-person meetings
• Theme-specific learning and support via targeted working groups
• Providing or co-developing practical tools and resources
• Benchmarking of human rights across the food and beverage sector (of other FNET members)
• Where appropriate, facilitating collaborative action and creating a safe space to discuss general themes or specific incidents.

FNET is open to all food companies (including suppliers, retailers, food manufacturers etc.) meeting the below expectations:

• Organisations operating UK-wide or internationally, who have at least substantial operations in the UK or substantial supply into UK businesses
• Organisations that have been trading in the UK or supplying to UK businesses for at least a year or are owned and operated by one or more individual(s) with more than one year of experience in running a business
• Organisations that can show that they have made a commitment to ethical trade at a senior manager level, for example, through public ethical trade or human rights policies, corporate reports or Modern Slavery Statements
• Organisations that support the mission of FNET and adhere to ethical trade requirements in their own operations
• Organisations that are committed to drive continuous improvements within the organisation’s supply chain on ethical issues

As per the Theory of Change, FNET’s three main outcomes:

1. Members implement responsible business practices as defined by the OECD.
2. Workers are aware of and able to exercise their rights.
3. Members’ approaches to remediating systemic issues are maturing, and this is making a difference to workers.

Human rights are an important consideration for all companies, for so many different reasons. As a quick overview, companies employ workers, both within their direct operations and throughout their supply chains. The rights of these workers need to be considered and upheld. Food systems are built by and for people, and workers are at the heart of everything.

Globally, there are significant risks of human rights violations across all supply chains, including of food. Companies must be aware and be prepared to mitigate the risks of labour exploitation, forced labour, child labour, climate-related health risks and much more!

There are growing expectations on companies to embed higher standards across their supply chains to prevent labour exploitation. The regulatory and legal expectations on companies are growing, with the most recent example being the introduction of the Forced Labour Regulation and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive in the EU. Additionally, companies are considering the reputational impacts of failing to address human rights concerns in their supply chains.