Strong alliances can positively impact social and environmental standards in our supply chains. By joining forces with suppliers, manufacturers, retailers, multistakeholder initiatives, and civil society organisations, we can align our approaches to human rights due diligence.
As an international retailer with global supply chains, ALDI understands the importance of respecting human rights. Our business partners are important allies in implementing our due diligence policy and ensuring that the requirements of our Business Partner Sustainability Standards are met throughout our supply chains.
Building long-term partnerships with suppliers
Our goal is to form strong relationships with strategic business partners that have a good sustainability performance and increasingly source more from them. To identify their performance, we conduct an annual Corporate Responsibility Supplier Evaluation (CRSE) that goes beyond audits. It evaluates the suppliers' social and environmental compliance management systems and the performance of their farms or production facilities. The results are then verified through our ALDI Sustainability Assessments (ASAs) and based on our contractual sustainability requirements, rating them from A to D. The ALDI SOUTH Group prioritises sourcing from A and B rated suppliers. Suppliers rated with a D and consistently failing to improve fall under the risk of getting delisted.
Human rights in global supply chains
We have identified a number of human rights topics as relevant to our operations and supply chains, including non-discrimination, occupational health and safety, the right to fair remuneration, and the prohibition of child labour and forced labour.
The way we operate, purchase goods, and choose our business partners can impact people and their communities. Respecting human rights is an important aspect of ALDI’s Global Sustainability Strategy. They are non-negotiable, and we want them embedded into the core of our business.
We work with the following multistakeholder Initiatives and civil society organisations
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.
ALDI SOUTH Group has been a member of amfori since 2008. As part of this membership, we use amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative) audits through the amfori Sustainability Platform. amfori BSCI enables us to perform ESG due diligence, increase transparency and address significant violations of working conditions within the international labour rights framework.
ALDI is also actively involved in a number of amfori projects focusing on different areas of the global supply chain. amfori Speak for Change, for example, is a supply chain grievance mechanism that helps us identify, address, and resolve social issues raised by workers and other stakeholders in our supply chain.
Sedex
Sedex is a global platform for supply chain sustainability solutions. Specialised in data, insights and professional services, it offers accessible tools, services, and a community network to support companies enhance responsible business practices and sustainable sourcing.
The ALDI SOUTH Group became a member in 2017. We use the Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audit (SMETA) as a standard for auditing production facilities in our Social Monitoring Programme. It helps us identify, assess and prioritise environmental and social risks and impacts more effectively across our supply chains.
Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI)
ETI is a leading alliance of trade unions, NGOs and companies working together to advance human rights in global supply chains. Its mission is to provide practical solutions to end human rights abuses in the workplace, improving the lives of workers and businesses.
The ALDI SOUTH Group graduated to full membership in July 2022. In awarding full membership, ETI recognised ALDI's progress on human rights due diligence and commitment to upholding workers’ rights in our supply chain. ALDI's Business Partner Sustainability Standards are aligned with the ETI Base Code. Being part of this collective helps us address and promote better working and living conditions for workers and their families and supports our efforts to improve gender equality, tackle child labour and increase transparency across ALDI supply chains.
International Accord
The International Accord promotes health and safety in the workplace through independent safety inspections, training programmes and a grievance mechanism for workers. It is a legally binding agreement between garment brands and trade unions in the textile and garment industry.
The ALDI SOUTH Group is a member of the International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry. We were one of the first signatories to the original Accord in 2013. We signed the Transitional Accord in 2018, the new International Accord in 2021 and the Pakistan Accord in 2023.
ALDI, in collaboration with its business partners, has played an important role by disclosing all factories producing for the company in countries with International Accord programs. We ensure that all listed factories participate in inspection, remediation and safety training, and contribute to the operational costs of International Accord measurements. The multi-stakeholder initiative promotes an accessible, rights-based, and confidential grievance mechanism. ALDI actively supports the investigation and remediation of findings raised by workers through the Accord grievance mechanism.
Issara Institute
The Issara Institute is an independent non-governmental organisation based in Asia and the United States. It operates on the ground, working with workers and communities, partnering with civil society, businesses and governments to build ethical supply chains. It tackles issues related to human trafficking and forced labour through worker voice, partnership and innovation.
The ALDI SOUTH Group has been a strategic partner since 2021 and participates in Issara's Inclusive Labor Monitoring. This worker voice- centred collaboration supports workers and improves working conditions in ALDI's food and non-food supply chains across Southeast Asia. It empowers workers to speak up when they have concerns about recruitment conditions or their working environment and to address their grievances. In line with the requirements of an effective grievance mechanism, it ensures that workers feel comfortable sharing their concerns, but also that companies respond to those concerns.
The power of being heard - Worker Voice Program
The ALDI SOUTH Group supports Issara’s worker voice programme. It offers workers across food and non-food supply chains in southeast Asia the opportunity to raise and report issues in their mother tongue.
An analysis of grievances received demonstrated how gender-related barriers to accessing the grievance mechanism can vary by nationality and culture. To have a positive impact, an effective grievance mechanism requires an environment where workers feel comfortable sharing their issues but also companies being responsive to those grievances.
The Centre for Child Rights and Business (The Centre)
The Centre for Child Rights and Business helps companies understand and improve their direct and indirect impact on children. It provides practical solutions that enable companies to mitigate risks while delivering meaningful and lasting improvements for children, youth and families.
ALDI SOUTH Group has partnered with The Centre for Child Rights and Business (The Centre) since 2018 to develop and evaluate strategies to address, prevent and remediate child labour. Their services include preventing and remediating child labour, assessing child rights and human rights risks, connecting youth and other vulnerable groups to decent work and skills development opportunities, creating family-friendly workplaces in supply chains, and providing training for migrant parents.
