Introducing Choices for Change

Author | Billie Elmqvist Thurén | Human Rights ofi Sustainability & Cocoa Lead

Accessible education is an effective way to reduce the risk of the incidence of child labor as well as providing a foundation for protecting children’s rights. Through our Child Labor Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS), we monitor and identify the specific needs of communities across our nine global sustainable sourcing regions.

From providing access to schools closer to home to initiatives that empower cocoa households to be more economically resilient, here are a few ways we are removing barriers for children in our cocoa supply chain to attend school and develop their future potential.

• New 2030 social and environmental targets set for ofi’s global operations which span ~50 countries, building on the existing product-specific strategies for cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts, and spices.
• Strong focus on supply chain excellence to enhance supplier engagement, mitigate supply chain risks, and give customers more rigorous, verifiable data for sustainability decision-making and reporting.
• Impact will be achieved in partnership with farmers, governments, civil society and ofi’s customers, backed by clear action plans and methodologies outlined by ofi.

ofi, a leading supplier of naturally good food and beverage ingredients, today unveiled a new sustainability strategy – ‘Choices for Change’ and ambitious 2030 targets.

Global food brands and retailers are facing growing consumer demand for sustainable products, with increasing weather related and other challenges in the food supply chain and significant new sustainability linked legislation coming up. With ‘Choices for Change’, ofi will provide these companies and their consumers with specific choices to deliver long-term impact across four critical pillars: Prosperous Farmers, Thriving Communities, Climate Action, and Regenerating the Living World.

Every 2030 target in the Choices for Change strategy delivers on key customer needs, including:

• Delivering enhanced livelihood support to one million farmers, helping them to be more productive and deliver better quality ingredients.
• Cutting scope 3 emissions by 30% to offer customers verifiable, low-carbon products and ingredients and contribute to net-zero commitments.
• Bringing 2 million hectares of land under regenerative farming practices to create long-term farm resilience and products with verified positive natural impact.

To give customers more rigorous, verifiable data for sustainability decision-making and reporting, the strategy incorporates a focus on supply chain excellence. This brings traceability, data insights, risk mitigation, verification, and in-depth supplier engagement together to enable the right choices and includes ofi’s suite of award-winning tech tools like AtSource - the sustainability management system and its built in Carbon Scenario Planner for planning and costing climate action.

• Landmark achievement gives food brands and consumers additional assurances in the responsible sourcing of ofi’s California almonds.

ofi (olam food ingredients), a global leader in naturally good food and beverage ingredients, has earned America’s first Rainforest Alliance certification for its California orchards, underscoring the company’s extensive sourcing and sustainability capabilities.

As one of the world’s largest almond growers with orchards in California and Australia, ofi’s certification is good news for makers and consumers of almond-based food and drink products, from cereal bars and trail mixes to milk alternatives and flours. It not only demonstrates responsible almond sourcing practices to customers but also highlights ofi's dedication to its ambitious ‘Almond Trail' sustainability product strategy.

ofi’s approach to producing high-quality, flavorful almonds with a lower carbon footprint is driven by its pioneering partnerships with the Almond Board of California and the California Water Action Collaborative, as well as universities and labs. The collaboration focuses on incorporating high levels of mechanization and the latest agronomy practices to improve water-use efficiency, ensure best-practice pollinator management techniques, and increase orchard carbon capture activities.

“We're happy that ofi joined hands with us to certify their almond ranches in California. It's great to see their commitment to improving practices within the almond industry, from managing pests and chemicals responsibly to enhancing soil and supporting biodiversity. This move broadens the choices for sustainability-conscious consumers, who can now enjoy Rainforest Alliance certified almonds, hazelnuts, and cashews.” - Michelle Deugd, Director Forest and Agriculture, Rainforest Alliance

Damien Houlahan, Head of Almonds at ofi: “Our approach to responsible almond farming and supply chain transparency is ambitious, but it goes hand in hand with delivering high-quality products to our customers - and their consumers. This certification reflects our relentless pursuit of making every almond count toward a more sustainable and equitable future. It’s a testament to the hard work and dedication of everyone involved with ofi, from our orchard teams to our operations teams, who have committed to upholding the rigorous standards set by the Rainforest Alliance.”

As ofi continues its sustainability efforts under its 'Almond Trail' strategy, customers and partners can look forward to the first impact report detailing its 2023 progress, set to be published later this year.

Discover much more about what ofi has to offer at ofi.com