Standards & Certification
We want to offer our ALDI customers sustainably sourced products at the highest quality for the best possible price. Therefore, we set social and environmental standards for our partners and use reliable certification schemes.
Setting sustainable standards
The ALDI SOUTH Group supports human rights and environmental standards across all supply chain activities. Many of our products are not sourced directly from the producers or farmers but via our ALDI business partners. They are our key allies in improving working conditions in the production sites and sustainable farming.
The ALDI Business Partner Sustainability Standards represent our minimum requirements. They constitute a binding set of norms for all enterprises that have a business relationship with ALDI, such as due diligence mechanisms, minimum wages, environmental stewardship, and many more. We review these standards frequently and strive for continuous improvement. They were first published in 2010 (formerly as ALDI Social Standards in Production) and were further revised in 2014 and 2023.
Why certification makes a difference
Independent third-party certifications offer reliable mechanisms to positively impact food and non-food supply chains. They allow us as a retailer to strengthen sustainable standards and determine if our requirements are implemented on the ground. By encouraging our suppliers to purchase from certified farms, we use our buying volume as an incentive to increase certified production.
Using certification, we can establish better business practices that benefit workers, communities, and the environment. At the same time, we recognise that standards and certification schemes do not adequately address all environmental and human rights issues. To drive constant improvement, we engage publicly and directly with those standard organisations and adopt complementary measures according to each supply chain’s needs.
Our goals:
Continue to offer 100% certified bananas and pineapples in our European and US stores.
100% of the cocoa used in our products to come from certified sources - currently it is 99%.
The percentage of sustainable coffee is to be steadily increased - currently we use 79%.
By 2025, all of our cotton will be sustainably certified.
Partnering for change
Doing better together - strong partnerships and alliances help us to develop and implement sustainable standards across our supply chain. The ALDI SOUTH Group has been collaborating closely with the Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade over the years. We use their reliable certification schemes for certain products and engage in shared projects on the ground.
Why we trust in Fairtrade
For decades, Fairtrade has been improving living and working conditions for small producer organizations and agricultural workers in developing countries. Fairtrade sets social, economic and environmental standards that progressively raise the bar in various sectors. By paying a premium, producers can invest the extra funds to support communities and their businesses.
The ALDI SOUTH Group has engaged in multiple projects and cooperation with Fairtrade and adopted the Fairtrade Methodology for our Banana sourcing model. In 2022, more than 300 different Fairtrade products have been offered in our stores.
ALDI and the Rainforest Alliance
The Rainforest Alliance is an international non-profit organisation that brings together farmers, businesses and consumers to establish better business practices for people and nature. We are closely collaborating with the Rainforest Alliance on the development of the standard and consultation on guidance materials.
The ALDI SOUTH Group uses the Rainforest Alliance certification scheme for cocoa, coffee, nut and tropical fruit products. By offering our customers an increasing share of products carrying the frog seal, we contribute to better farming practices, fight against the climate crisis, conserve forests, protect the human rights of farmers and workers and improve their livelihoods.
Commodity specific certification schemes
Currently, there are more than 400 voluntary sustainability standards (VSSs) and certification schemes available. While some of them cover a wide range of criteria, others target specific commodities. The ALDI SOUTH Group carefully assess those standards against several criteria, including the credibility of certification, independent audits, and control mechanisms.
Fish & Seafood
To ensure that products in our fish and seafood range are sourced sustainably, we use certification in accordance with one of our recognised standards: Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC), Organic, GlobalG.A.P., or Best Aquaculture Practices (BAP) with minimum 4 stars. We also accept the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI) recognised standards.
Palm (Kernel) Oil
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification ensures that palm oil is produced in an environmentally friendly and socially responsible way. Currently, we use 99% RSPO-certified palm oil in all our own-label food and non-food ALDI products.
Cotton
When buying cotton, we use independent third-party certification schemes with proven reliability and suitability for market-wide implementation, such as The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS), Organic Content Standard (OCS), Cotton made in Africa, Better Cotton, and Fairtrade.
Going beyond certification
We recognise that certifications alone are not the route to achieving sustainability for all individual high-priority commodities. Wherever possible, we strive to adopt custom complementary measures according to each supply chain’s needs. Direct sourcing where feasible, improved supply chain transparency, implementing responsible purchasing practices and engaging in long-term partnerships with our partners and suppliers allow us to exceed minimum criteria and set our sustainable standards even higher.
Find out more about our policies, initiatives, and projects. Our Product Factsheets provide information about the ALDI South Group for benchmarking inquiries.
