Privacy

Privacy Policy

At Better Food Traders, we take your privacy very seriously. We’re committed to protecting personal information that you’ve shared with us when visiting our site, applying to be a member, communicating electronically with us or coming to one of our events.

This Privacy Policy explains what happens to personal data that you choose to provide to us, or that we collect from you while you visit this site or fill in one of our forms. We do occasionally update this policy so please do check it occasionally.

By using our website or forms you’re agreeing to be bound by this policy.

Definitions

Personal data means information about a person who can be identified directly or indirectly from that data. It can be stored electronically or on paper, and includes images and audio recordings as well as written information.

Processing is any activity that involves use of personal data. It includes obtaining, recording or holding the data, organising, amending, retrieving, using, disclosing, erasing or destroying it. Processing also includes transferring personal data to third parties.

Data protection is about how we, as an organisation, ensure we protect the rights and privacy of individuals, and comply with the law, when processing personal data.

As controllers and processors of data, we understand the trust placed in us when sharing data, and we will always do our utmost to respect that trust and protect personal information.

Our full privacy policy is explained below, but here are some points to note:

• We will only ever ask for information that we really need.
• We will collect and use the personal data that you share with us transparently, honestly and fairly.
• We will always respect your choices around that data and how we use it.
• We will put appropriate security measures in place to protect the personal data that you share.
• We will never sell your data.
• You have the right to amend or withdraw your consent about the ways in which we hold and use your personal data at any time.

Information we collect

In running and operating our organisation we may collect and process certain data and information relating to you. This data and information is detailed below:

• Anonymous data about details of visits to our website and the pages and resources that are accessed, including, but not limited to, traffic data, location data and other communication data that may assist us in understanding how visitors use this website.
• Information that you provide to us by filling in forms (either on our website or hosted by third party sites), such as when you contact us, sign up as a supporter or apply to become a member – including name, email address, telephone number and physical address.
• Information provided to us via email, phone, letter or in person.
• Information provided to us when you apply for employment with us, or apply to volunteer, or contact us in another way.

Use of your information

The information we collect is used for the benefit of the Better Food Traders network. In addition, we may use the information for the following purposes:

• To provide you with essential information relating to our website, or activities of Better Food Trader members. We may do this using email, texting, phone calls and physical address.
• To meet our contractual obligations to you, e.g. if you are a member of staff.
• To analyse and produce reports on individual member businesses and the overall Better Food Traders movement.
• We keep your personal information only for as long as required for the purposes for which it’s supplied. Where your information is no longer required, we will make sure it is disposed of in a safe and secure manner. Details of our data retention periods for the different types of personal data that we hold are held in our data protection procedures.
• We will never sell your data to a third party.
• We may share your personal information when we are compelled to do so by a legal authority acting in compliance with the law.

Lawful grounds for processing data

• Information is processed in line with a contractual relationship.
• Information is processed on the basis of an individual’s consent.
• Information is processed on the basis of legitimate interest.

Contractual relationships

If you are a business applicant or member of Better Food Traders, or a member of staff, you enter a contractual relationship with Better Food Traders. We use your data to give you essential information and updates about the organisation, the wider network and your business.

Consent

We will only send promotional material by email to those who have given explicit consent, usually to send you updates on Better Food Traders’ activities. Occasionally, our promotional material may – for example – invite you to an event or promote items for sale.

For those signing up on our website to hear about Better Food Traders news and events, consent is given when you enter your email address and click ‘subscribe’.

For those applying to become Better Food Trader members, we ask for consent for the processing of both personal and business data as part of the application forms.

For those applying to a job at BFT, your application is your consent for your CV and cover letter to be read by us, and deleted after 12 months.

Legitimate interests

Applicable law allows personal information to be collected and used if it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate activities. These are the following:

• Managing events that you have registered for or attended. 
• Assessing membership applications from organisations. 
• Administering and delivering BFT membership.
• Delivering newsletters.
• Assessing job applicants for recruitment purposes.
• Employee recording and monitoring for safety, performance management or workforce planning purposes.
• Physical security, IT and network security.
• Processing for historical, research or statistical purposes.
• Prevention of fraud, misuse of services or money laundering.
• Enforcement of legal claims.
• Responding to enquiries.
• Providing ‘thank you’ communications and receipts.

Storing your personal data

Information that we collect is stored on databases hosted and managed by Mailchimp, JotForm, Google, Airtable, Zoho, Zoom, Eventbrite and Monday CRM.

Third-party links

You may find links to third-party websites on our website. These websites should have their own privacy policies which you should check. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for their policies whatsoever as we have no control over them.

Cookies

As is common practice with almost all professional websites this site uses cookies, which are tiny files that are downloaded to your computer to improve your experience. It is recommended that you leave cookies on.

You can disable cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser (see your browser help for how to do this). Be aware that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of this and other websites that you visit. 

This site uses Google Analytics to help us understand how you use the site and ways that we can improve your experience. These cookies may track things such as your IP address, geographical location, browser type, referral source, how long you spend on the site and the pages that you visit so we can continue to produce engaging content.

We also use social media buttons and/or plugins on this site that allow you to connect with your social network in various ways. For these to work, Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram will set cookies through our site which may be used to enhance your profile on their site or contribute to the data they hold for various purposes outlined in their respective privacy policies.

Withdrawing your consent

Where you give us consent to process your data we will always keep a clear record of how and when this consent was obtained. You can withdraw your consent for the processing of your personal data at any time, or request that all your personal data be deleted by contacting us.

Deletion

We will provide individuals with details of the data we have about them when requested by the relevant individual.

We will delete data if requested by the relevant individual, unless we need to keep it for legal reasons.