Organisation

For the four pillars of our strategy to work together effectively, we need a strong internal vision of who we are as an organisation. Our clearly established organisational values guide daily work processes, as well as our wider quality and impact objectives.

Our Organisational Values

We recognise that as an organisation we also carry responsibility for our impact on society. We hold ourselves accountable to clear organisational values and ensure that we have the same expectations of ourselves as we do of others around us. We have an elaborate quality management system designed in accordance with ISO 9001:2008 standards and our organisational values. This system ensures that our work satisfies the needs of our main stakeholders and is conducted in a professional, effective and efficient manner to optimise results. This system helps us streamline the design and monitoring of our workflow to ensure that our values are
effectively implemented.

Our team

Fairfood employees are passionate, dynamic and idealistic. They have a multicultural background. All our staff are driven and inspired to contribute to our mission and to preserve our values. As Fairfood International has a long tradition of working with volunteers. Our workforce consists, for a major part, of volunteers, who are drawn to our cause and seek to contribute to it. We invest in our people so they can excel in their job. We also help them to deal with change, making them ready to take on new tasks and responsibilities, inside or outside of Fairfood.

Organisational Structure

The organisational structure of Fairfood International is split into three functional departments, the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and the Advisory Board. The three departments of Fairfood International are: Global Operations, Policy & Advocacy and Outreach & Fundraising. Each department consists of various functions (e.g. Corporate Identity, Food Industry Analysis, etc.). Unpaid employees assist the managers with the daily activities. A director heads each department and consequently guides the managers; the directors report to the Executive Director. The Executive Board is ultimately responsible for achieving the overall objectives of the organisation and the successful implementation of Fairfood’s programmes and activities.

Supervisory and Advisory Boards

The purpose of the Supervisory Board is to ensure that the Executive Director sets out a solid and sound general strategy, and that this strategy is implemented consistently. In addition, the Supervisory Board is responsible for supervising the Executive Board in managing the foundation. This board consists of at least five members, who are non-remunerated and have different backgrounds. Fairfood International has an Advisory Board consisting of an international network of prominent experts representing different nationalities and professional backgrounds. Their role is to provide relevant advice to the Executive Board on strategic matters and to expand the professional network of the organisation. The Advisory Board members support the organisation voluntarily; they have no legal fiduciary responsibility and no authority to vote on corporate matters. Whereas the Advisory Board provides such support, the Supervisory Board remains the formal employer and supervisor of the Executive Board.

Our Funding: Present and
Future

Fairfood strives to secure diverse financial means for its growth from various types of donors. We do this through applying for funding from institutions like other NGOs, governmental institutions and trust funds. Currently, Fairfood International has a number of funders, including two major funders that have committed to supporting our work for the coming years. As part of the Medefinancieringsstelsel (MFS) II co-financing system for sustainable development, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has awarded Fairfood International funding until the end of 2015.

Fairfood International received this funding as a (candidate) member of the IMPACT Alliance, a group of innovative development organisations based in the Netherlands led by Oxfam Novib, and including SOMO, Butterfly Works, 1% Club and Hirda. Fairfood International receives an average of €1,1 million per year. We are also a proud beneficiary of the Dutch Postcode Lottery, which is
part of Novamedia/Postcode Lotteries, the world’s third-largest private charity donor. Fairfood International became a beneficiary of the Dutch Postcode Lottery in 2010 and receives an annual contribution of €500,000.