ALDI kicks off a new project to help reduce the living income gap of coffee farmers

The ALDI SOUTH Group is partnering with Olam Food Ingredients’ (“OFI”) coffee business on a four-year project in Honduras, which aims to narrow the living income gap by improving market access and coffee quality.

The global coffee supply chain is very complex. To get the coffee beans to port for export, they are typically bought and sold by several intermediaries. On top of this, low yields, fluctuating prices and the climate crisis can make it even harder for farmers to earn a reliable income.

The new joint project aims to create a transparent and traceable coffee supply chain all the way to farm level, and narrow the living income gap of 1,000 coffee producers in Honduras by helping them to increase yields, improve coffee quality and achieve Rainforest Alliance certification. Local representatives and farmers will be trained with an innovative smartphone app that enables them to make informed decisions and directly trade their coffee with OFI. Over four years, each farmer will receive tailored trainings, agricultural inputs and tools to help narrow the living income gap.

Tracking the project’s progress will ensure we are not only meeting our shared goals but learning how to make our impact scalable in a way that lifts farmers out of poverty, and that offers a more promising future for generations to come.

We want our customers to enjoy their ALDI coffee with a good conscience and that is why we are determined to improve the living and working conditions in the coffee sector. We believe the greatest impact for coffee farmers is achieved through productive partnerships. We look forward to working together with Olam on this exciting project.