The Pooled Fund
Our vision is for a better system of food and farming in the UK, underpinned by agroecology and food sovereignty principles, a fairer economic model and stronger social fabric.
Our mission is to grow, strengthen and connect the UK's agroecology movement to ensure a just transition to a new system of food farming.
Applications are currently by invitation only
Our Work Supports
The emerging system of food and farming.
Work that helps build the agroecology movement.
In 2025 we're focussing on
New Economies for Food & Farming
Diversifying the Movement
Movement Support
2024 Funded Partners
Collaborative Projects
£50K for work advancing a just transition
FOOD HUBS
Better Food Traders, Growing Communities, Sustain, Soil Association
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LANDED COMMUNITY KITCHENS
Regather Ltd, Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Urban Agriculture Consortium, Real Farming Trust, CSA Network
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MIGRANT WORKERS RIGHTS
Landworkers Alliance, Workers Support Centre
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SCOTTISH AGROECOLOGY PARTNERSHIP RISING
Nourish Scotland, Propagate, Soil Association Scotland, Pasture for Life, Nature Friendly Farming Network, LWA, Scottish Crofting Federation
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BACK THE FUTURE
Students Organising for Sustainability-UK, Food Land Agriculture, a Movement for Equality, National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs​
Exploring Collaboration
£8K development funding for early stage partnerships
CONNECTING THE AGROECOLOGY MOVEMENT W PARLIAMENT
Agroecology Comms Network, Parliamentarians for Agroecology, Sustain, Real Farming Trust
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YOUTH VOICES IN A JUST TRANSITION
Students Organising for Sustainability, FLAME, National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, Sustain, Nature Friendly Farming Network
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SCOTLAND AGROECOLOGY NETWORK DEVELOPMENT
Nourish Scotland, Propagate, Soil Association Scotland, Pasture for Life, Landworkers Alliance, Nature Friendly Farming Network
PULSES VALUE CHAIN DEV IN THE NORTHEAST
NRFC (LESS), Hodmedods', Organic Research Centre, University of Leeds, Zest Leeds, Gaia Seed Sovereignty
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COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS
Community Land Trust Network, Shared Assets
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SEEDING REPARATIONS
Feedback Global, Tipping Point UK
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SUSSEX REGIONAL MARKET FOR AGROECOLOGICAL FOOD
Brighton & Hove Food Partnership, Wealdon Food Partnership, Sussex Community Development Association / Lewes District Food Partnership, Food Matters, East Sussex Public Health team, Brighton & Hove Public Health team, Sussex Surplus, Rock Farm
New Growth
£10K unrestricted funding for emerging groups
Previous Funded Partners
2021-2023
NEW MODELS OF FARM SUCCESSION
​Project Leader: Stir to Action
Partners: Shared Assets, Community Supported Agriculture Network UK & Ecological Land Cooperative
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EXPANSION OF SUSTAINABLE FOOD FORESTS FOR CLIMATE AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE
Project Leader: The Orchard Project
Partners: Shared Assets & Soil Association
BUILDING THE FOOD SOVREIGNTY MOVEMENT
​Project Leader: Landworkers' Alliance
Partners: FLAME & African and Caribbean Heritage Food Network (ACHFN)
FRINGE FARMING: SCALING OUT AGROECOLOGY AT THE EDGES OF UK CITIES, YEAR 2
Project Leader: Sustain
Partners: Shared Assets, Landworkers' Alliance, Bristol Food Producers, Food Sense Wales, Glasgow Community Food Network, Regather & ShefFood
YOUTH PROJECT: LINKING THE CLIMATE AND NAUTURE CRISES WITH THE IMPORTANCE OF AGROECOLOGOCAL FARMING
Project Leader: Students Organising for Sustainability UK (SOS UK)​
Partners: FLAME & National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs
MIGRANT WORKER SOLIDARITY
​Project Leader: Landworkers' Alliance
Partners: Sustain, Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, New Economics Foundation & Focus on Labour Exploitation
UPLIFTING UNDERREPRESENTED VOICES
​Project Leader: Farmerama Radio
Partners: LION & Landworkers' Alliance LGBTQIA+ Group
GROWING THE FIBRESHED MOVEMENT IN THE UK
​Project Leader: British Textile Quarter
Partners: South West England Fibreshed, South East England Fibreshed & Landworkers' Alliance
SOIL IN THE CITY
​Project Leader: Brighton and Hove Food Partnership
Partners: Brighton Food Factory, Feedback Global & Brighton and Hove Affordable Food Hubs
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REDUCING THE GLOBAL DEFORESTATION IMPACT OF ANIMAL FEEDS IN THE UK
​Project Leader: Landworkers Alliance
Partners: Feedback Global, Sustain & Pasture Fed Livestock Association
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THE BODY LAB
​Project Leader: UK Grain Lab
Partners: The Sheffield Wheat Experiment & Farmerama Radio
2020
SAFEGUARDING AGROECOLOGY: RESPONDING TO THE RISK OF GENETIC MODIFICATION
Lead Organisation: Beyond GM Project Partner: GM Freeze
SUPPORTING SMALL-SCALE AND AGROECOLOGICAL FARMERS
Lead Organisation: Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Network UK Project Partners: Landworkers Alliance, Organic Growers Alliance, Gaia Foundation (Seed Sovereignty UK and Ireland Programme
LESS AND BETTER MEAT FOR LOCAL AUTHORITIES
Lead Organisation: Eating Better Project Partners: Sustainable Food Trust, Sustain
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SCALING UP COMMUNITY-OWNED LAND FOR AGROECOLOGY
Lead Organisation: Ecological Land Cooperative Project Partners: The Scottish Farmland Trust, Community Shares Scotland
A NATIONAL NETWORK OF AGROFORESTRY FARMS
Lead Organisation: The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust Project Partners: The Organic Research Centre, The Woodland Trust, The National Trust, The Agricology Project, The Woodmeadow Trust, The Farm Woodland Forum
BUILDING THE NORTHERN REAL FARMING NETWORK
Project Lead: Less (Lancaster District) CIC Project Partners: Permaculture Association, Community Supported Agriculture Network, Real Farming Trust
JUMPING FENCES: ADDRESSING THE BARRIERS TO AGROECOLOGICAL FARMING FOR BPOC IN BRITAIN
Project Lead: Land In Our Names (Lion) Project Partners: Ecological Land Cooperative, Landworkers Alliance
CULTIVATING JUSTICE
Project Lead: Land In Our Names (Lion) Project Partners: Landworkers Alliance, Farmerama
AGROECOLOGY RESEARCH COLLABORATION (ARC)
Project Lead: Landworkers Alliance Project Partners: Ecological Land Cooperative, Community Supported Agriculture Network, Organic Growers Alliance
PREVENTING TRADE DEALS FROM WEAKENING UK PESTICIDE STANDARDS
Project Lead: Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK Project Partners: Sustain, Dr Emily Lydgate, Sussex University
SHARING KNOWLEDGE ON HOW TO WORK WITH NATURE TO REDUCE PESTICIDE USE
Project Lead: RSPB Project Partners: Soil Association, Nature Friendly Farming Network, Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK, Cofarm Foundation
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REFORMING RED TRACTOR TO DRIVE PESTICIDE REDUCTION
Project Lead: Pesticide Action Network (PAN) UK Project Partners: Nature Friendly Farming Network, RSPB
MEASURING AND COMMUNICATING ON-FARM SUSTAINABILITY
Lead Organisation: Sustainable Food Trust Project Partners: Royal Agricultural University, Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group Southwest (FWAG SW), Eating Better
INFLUENCING POLICY TO SUPPORT FARM WOODLAND AND AGROFORESTRY FROM THE GROUND-UP
Project Lead: Soil Association Project Partners: The Organic Research Centre, Landworkers Alliance (LWA), The Farm Woodland Forum
FRINGE FARMING: INCREASING ACCESS TO PUBLIC LAND FOR PERI-URBAN FARMING
Project Lead: Sustain Project Partners*: Shared Assets, Landworkers Alliance, Sheffood, Bristol Food Producers (With Support From Bristol Food Network), Glasgow Community Food Network, Campaign To Protect Rural England
ROOTZ INTO FOOD GROWING
Project Lead: The Ubele Initiative Project Partners: Black Rootz, Organiclea, Land In Our Names
2019
AGROECOLOGICAL MENTORING NETWORK - SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATION OF FARMERS
​Project Leader: The Landworkers’ Alliance
Partners: Community Supported Agriculture Network UK & Ecological Land Cooperative
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AN EVALUATION OF THE VALUE CREATED BY GROWING COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE
Project Leader: Growing Communities
Partners: Soil Association & New Economics Foundation
ENGLAND’S FIELDS (FARMING & INTEGRATED ENVIRONMENTAL LOCAL DELIVERY SUPPORT)
​Project Leader: Farmland Wildlife Advisory Group South West
Partners: Pasture For Life, Sustain & Real Farming Trust
HARMONISED FRAMEWORK FOR MEASURING AND VALUING ON-FARM SUSTAINABILITY
Project Leader: Sustainable Food Trust & Co.
MAKING VOICES HEARD: ENSURING THAT ‘FARMING THE FUTURE’ CONCERNS ARE EMBEDDED IN IMMINENT POLICY, LEGISLATION AND FUTURE FARM FUNDING
Project Leader: Sustain​
Partners: LWA, PANUK, Sustainable Soils Alliance & Farming Working Party Of The Sustain Alliance
PESTICIDES: CATALYSING CIVIL SOCIETY TO REDUCE FARMING CHEMICALS
​Project Leader: RSPB
Partners: Pesticide Action Network UK, Soil Association & Friends Of The Earth
PROTECTING UK PESTICIDE STANDARDS FROM POST-BREXIT TRADE DEALS
​Project Leader: Pesticide Action Network UK
Partners: Sustain & Sussex University
SAVING COUNTY FARMS
​Project Leader: Campaign For The Protection Of Rural England
Partners: New Economics Foundation & Shared Assets
SAVE OUR SEED: CULTIVATING RESILIENCE IN OUR FARMING SYSTEM – EUROPEAN EXCHANGES FOR INSPIRATION, COLLABORATION AND EMERGENCE
​Project Leader: Gaia Foundation
Partners: Landworkers’ Alliance & UKGrain Lab
WORKING GROUP ON INTEGRATION OF AGROECOLOGY INTO THE WORK STREAMS OF AGRICULTURE AND LAND-USE PLANNING MINISTRIES IN ENGLAND, WALES AND SCOTLAND
​Project Leader: Landworkers Alliance
Partners: Ecological Land Co-Operative, Community Supported Agriculture Network, Growing Communities, Campaign For The Protection Of Rural England, Real Farming Trust & Sustain