Friends of Action Group on Erosion Technology and Concentration

What it reported doing in 2024

The Organization works toward its goals of promoting biodiversity and advancing just and sustainable food security and livelihood systems for the benefit of rural areas and societies largely through educational activities and by supporting the work of the Action Group on Erosion, Technology and Concentration (ETC Group), a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Canada, and by supporting the work of other organizations aligned with its educational aims.During the fiscal year 2024/2025 the Organization supported increased in-person engagement with its partners and increased participation in international fora, with the aim to advance organizing, education and advocacy on critical issues related to food systems, climate change, biodiversity and sustainable livelihoods and technological change. The Organization engaged in multiple UN spaces, including the 30th conference of parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity where, along with partners, it maintained a moratorium on real world experiments in geoengineering. Building on this momentum, it organized to win a major victory at the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN), where agreement to a text forcefully rejecting Solar Radiation Management and calling for a solar geoengineering Non-Use Agreement was reached. The Organization continues to have a strong presence, with its partners, in the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Organization continued its strong relationship with groups in Latin America on Technology Assessment and the impacts of technology on farmers, indigenous peoples and biodiversity by providing research on topics ranging from corporate impacts on oceans and the impacts for fisher folk to the expanding role of AI and big data in food systems. It also supported many significant workshops with local partners in Latin America.Over the past Fiscal Year, the Organization have played a critical role in supporting the global convergence of small holder farmers, peasants, indigenous peoples and others advocates for a just and fair food system at a global convening on Food Sovereignty. It provided critical support in preparatory meetings, communication, narrative strategy and providing educational resources on the role of technologies in food systems. The very successful gathering was held in September, 2025 however the major organizing took place in the 24/25 fiscal year.As technological acceleration is super-charged through AI, the Organization has increasingly put its attention towards bringing greater understanding to communities and policy makers about the implications of AI, Data Centers and the new tech-titans on various communities, particularly in Africa and Latin America through reports and workshops. Two of the Organization's major publications released in 2024/25 include The Politics of Technology, that was co-created with partners, and Autonomy in the Face of Ag Tech. Both exist in six languages now (English, Spanish, French, Bahasa Indonesia, Hindi and Swahili) in various formats. The Organization also supported the further development of the website, https://assess.technology, which helps disseminate research and educational materials on technology. This year was an important year for deepening commitment to partnerships and alliances with other organizations and alliances. The Organization put significant energy and resources into Hand Off Mother Earth Alliance, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa, La Via Campesina and many others. Strengthening and providing crucial leadership and support to the North American Digital Agriculture Working Group, the Technology Assessment Platform for Latin America (TECLA) and the African Technology Assessment Platform (AfriTAPS) was continued. as was long-term partnerships with organizations in Mexico and increased collaboration with smaller grassroots organizations in Latin America, India and globally.

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 99%; rating input score 99
• Program expense ratio: 99.8%; rating input score 100
• Fundraising efficiency: $2,331.94 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 99; 99th percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: 4 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 50
  • Claims monitoring procedures: Pass
  • Requires narrative reports: Pass
  • Conducts field audits: Limited
  • May suspend future funding: Limited
  • Requires financial reports: Pass
  • Conducts site visits: Limited
  • Requires grant agreements: Pass
  • May require repayment: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: 100%; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 1 of 7 controls in place; rating input score 14
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Fail
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 0.9%; rating input score 39; 39th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.02; rating input score 2; 2nd percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 0%; rating input score 81; 81st percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 12.1% per year; rating input score 100; 69th percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 12.8% per year; rating input score 100; 74th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: -37.1% per year; rating input score 0; 1st percentile among comparable filings