• Partnership will utilize ofi’s Shanghai Customer Solutions Center to unlock new co-creation opportunities for China and Asia Pacific. 
• 87% of consumers¹ surveyed are looking for improved taste, flavor and quality in barbecue meats.

ofi, a global leader in food & beverage ingredients and solutions, today announced a new collaboration with customer 利思客, Lisco Barbecue Supply Chain (Lisco), to capitalize on growing consumer demand for innovation and quality in barbecue culinary.  

According to ofi research, barbecue skewers are enjoyed by nearly two-thirds (63%) of Chinese consumers at least once a week. From deep umami seasonings to fiery Sichuan pepper blends, there is a significant opportunity to meet demand for more adventurous flavors, higher quality and better taste.

Capitalizing on new opportunities

The collaboration with Lisco brings together the rich heritage of ofi’s global ingredient sourcing expertise and innovation network, with Lisco’s 20-year legacy as a specialist in the Chinese barbecue meat market. ofi’s expansive portfolio of spices² and its integrated supply chain will allow the partnership to explore new and innovative combinations of ingredients and spice blends – creating barbecue skewers with a feast of flavors, aroma, and color for all occasions.

We are delighted to be participating in the 10th edition of Gulfood Manufacturing, one of the most influential annual F&B manufacturing event.

ofi is known for supplying cocoa, coffee, dairy, nuts and spice ingredients with care from plant to palate. But now, there’s more. Drawing on the strengths from our five product platforms - their sustainable supply chain capabilities, diversified and complimentary portfolio of value-added ingredients; and extensive technical expertise, we are excited to be showcasing our new range of meticulously crafted Food and Beverage Solutions during the event.

Are you ready to fuel your business’ growth? So visit us to know more about how we focus on co-creating, on-trend and inspired product innovations and partner with you to create tailored solutions.

On International Coffee Day, the World Coffee Innovation Awards prized ofi's efforts to address child labor risks in major coffee-growing origins with its ‘Coffee Kindergartens’ initiative winning the ‘Best Sustainability Initiative’ category.

The Kindergartens are set up by ofi’s local coffee teams each year, supported by its specialty coffee business Covoya, in areas identified as high-risk through community surveys, part of its Child Labour Monitoring and Remediation System (CLMRS). They offer a safe space for children to play and learn during the school holidays while their parents harvest coffee on the farms.

The success of the first Coffee Kindergarten in Guatemala, run in partnership with NGO Funcafé in 2020, attracted support from donors and customers, allowing ofi to expand the initiative to set up a further 22 Kindergartens last year in Guatemala and two in Honduras and Nicaragua with local NGO Educo.

On the same day, the Reuters Sustainability Awards shortlisted ofi in the Business Transformation category for pioneering work in natural capital accounting. ofi was one of the first companies in the world to start reporting the impact of its sustainability efforts in dollars and cents through its Integrated Impact Statement (IIS) and today, is applying multi-capital accounting to delve into the year-on-year monetary impact of selected coffee and cocoa programs.

ofi was also shortlisted in the Social Impact category for its first social capital impact valuation which assessed the value of customized support delivered to approximately1,000 coffee farmers as part of a living income project in Honduras with partner ALDI SOUTH Group. Analysis for the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 crop years revealed a Social Return on Investment (SROI) of eight dollars for every dollar invested.

Roel Van Poppel, Chief Sustainability Officer at ofi said: "These achievements reflect our ongoing efforts to double down on the topics that matter most to our customers and the communities where we operate, and where we can make the greatest impact.

“We are able to do this because of the expertise and relationships we’ve grown in the heart of farming communities. And we’re choosing to achieve a lot more under our ‘Choices for Change’ sustainability strategy with 2030 targets to raise 200,000 ofi farmer households to a living income and remediate 100% of identified human rights cases, which our plans for 50 new Coffee Kindergartens will contribute to. We are inviting our customers and other partners across the supply chains to join these projects so we can collectively drive positive change.”

#bethechange