Making Change
Given the significant challenges that the world, our value chains, and our customers are facing – from climate change to biodiversity loss, societal disruptions and the cost-of-living crisis – we need to move fast and change how we do business. Responsibility has always been a core value of the ALDI SÜD Group. Acting sustainable now has an impact on our planet and the lives of future generations.
Force for Good
To bring our Purpose to life, ALDI’s new approach to sustainability focuses our efforts where we can meaningfully contribute to positive outcomes across climate, nature, and people, recognising that each is closely interconnected. We want to use our business as a Force for Good – this means investing in initiatives that drive meaningful change and support the transformation of the food system.
Our Force for Good Objectives
Climate change is disrupting global food systems, affecting agriculture, supply chains, and the communities that depend on them. Reducing emissions and building resilience is essential to keep our key supply chains viable in the long term. We work with suppliers, NGOs, industry partners, and policymakers to help decarbonise agriculture, improve efficiency, and support more resilient food production.
Biodiversity loss, soil degradation, and water scarcity threaten the future of food production. At ALDI, we work closely with suppliers and partners to help regenerate natural resources in high‑risk areas, for example through targeted landscape and watershed initiatives, regenerative agriculture programmes, and collective water stewardship efforts that support more resilient, sustainable land and water management.
Farmers, food producers, and workers often face poverty, poor working conditions, and health inequalities that can affect supply chain stability. ALDI supports initiatives in selected supply chains to improve livelihoods, including programmes on living incomes, regenerative agriculture, and access to safe drinking water, while also reformulating products and expanding plant‑based options to support healthier diets.
Action in key supply chains
Our supply chains are broad, covering many products and regions. That means we need to prioritise the ingredients and raw materials where our action can best accelerate progress for climate, nature, and people. Our focus is on areas of action in the selected supply chains of coffee, cocoa, fruit and vegetables, dairy, and beef. At the same time, we intend to continue strengthening standards in other key supply chains, such as fish and seafood.
With this focused approach, we direct our resources to where we identify the greatest potential to create positive impact.
Collaboration & Partnerships to drive change
We recognise that most significant sustainability challenges cannot be solved by any single company alone. In collaboration with our suppliers, partners, NGOs, governments, and our customers, we aim to contribute to positive social and environmental outcomes through targeted initiatives across selected supply chains. In doing so, we hope to ease the pressure on natural resources and support the transition to a more resilient food system.
Since 2020
Consumer Goods Forum (CGF)
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) is a CEO-led organisation that brings together global consumer goods retailers and manufacturers. Its main aim is to drive positive change and help address key challenges affecting the industry, including environmental and social sustainability, health, food safety and product data accuracy.
Since 2008
Fairtrade
Fairtrade is the most recognised and trusted sustainability label – working to make trade fairer for the people who grow our food. Fairtrade International is a non-profit, multi-stakeholder association of 28 member organisations – three producer networks and 25 national Fairtrade organisations around the globe. It supports over 2 million farmers and workers through a unique pricing model, sets rigorous standards across the supply chain, and fosters strong producer communities through local and regional networks. Certification requires successful checks by independent auditors to ensure compliance with Fairtrade Standards. Over 37,000 products with the Fairtrade mark are sold globally.
Since 2019
IDH
IDH brings together businesses, governments, investors and communities to make agricultural markets more sustainable and inclusive. The global organisation aims to drive positive impact by convening, co-creating and co-funding programmes, advising on policy, and innovating and implementing interventions to transform markets.
Since 2017
Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organisation that collaborates with farmers, businesses, and consumers to establish better practices for people and nature. Certification is based on the Rainforest Alliance Sustainable Agriculture Standard, including checks by independent auditors. It ensures that farms and companies meet strict requirements designed to improve farmer incomes and well-being while protecting the land.
Since 2008
amfori
amfori is a global business association for sustainable trade, supporting companies around the world to operate successfully and responsibly by improving the environmental, social and governance performance of our supply chains.
Since 2020
Tony’s Open Chain
Tony's Open Chain is a business-to-business cocoa sourcing initiative launched by Tony’s Chocolonely to drive systemic change in the cocoa sector. Its mission is to end exploitation in the cocoa industry by enabling cocoa farmers to earn a living income, protecting forests and addressing child labour in the world’s largest cocoa-producing countries, Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. Any company sourcing cocoa is invited to join as a Mission Ally and support more sustainable cocoa sourcing by committing to Tony's 5 Sourcing Principles. This approach allows companies to collaborate on cocoa while competing on chocolate.
Since 2022
Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP)
The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) is a global environmental action NGO, originally founded in the UK, working in over 40 countries. Its mission is to bring together businesses, NGOs and governments to create systemic change and drive the transition to a circular economy. WRAP established the UK Food and Drink Pact, which addresses sustainability challenges and commits to ambitious environmental targets.
Sustainability has multiple facets - establishing safe and fair working conditions, reducing emissions and improving environmental standards in our supply chains, to name just a few examples. There are many moving parts behind the scenes to put sustainable products and packaging onto every ALDI shelf. Find out more about our projects and partnerships in our stories.
Sustainability has multiple facets - establishing safe and fair working conditions, reducing emissions and improving environmental standards in our supply chains, to name just a few examples. There are many moving parts behind the scenes to put sustainable products and packaging onto every ALDI shelf. Find out more about our projects and partnerships in our stories.
