Getting closer to food ingredients

Our approach to responsible and sustainable sourcing is based on cultivating strong relationships, robust policies and using technology effectively.

Responsible and sustainable sourcing is an essential part of the ofi business, both on our own farms and in our third-party supply chains. Thanks to our comprehensive approach, we can help you meet your own sustainability targets, report accurately to investors and build your consumer brands.

 

Achieving true sustainability is a collaborative process, which is why we’re working with farmers, communities, governments and NGOs to deliver real and lasting progress. This includes supplying you with certified ingredients such as Rainforest Alliance/UTZ, 4C, organic, and Fairtrade, among others.

Sustainability in third-party supply chains

Where we grow our own crops - almonds in Australia and the USA, and black pepper in Brazil and Vietnam - we have complete control. We apply international standards and advanced technology to maintain the highest quality.

 

But the vast majority of the crops we buy are grown by smallholders in fragmented supply chains, which can make traceability more challenging. This is how we influence our third-party supply chains for the better:

Male farm worker inspecting crop
Responsible sourcing

Our Supplier Code is a detailed set of conditions that our suppliers must meet. These conditions are the basis for producing ingredients in a way that’s socially responsible, economically profitable and environmentally sustainable. 

Woman holding a cashew plant in hand
Sustainable sourcing

Working closely with smallholder farmers, we run sustainability programs covering areas like improving yields and quality, diversifying crops to increase income, improving health and education, and much more (see our Priority Areas). We currently support around 420,000 smallholders in such programmes.

Technology for responsible and sustainable sourcing

This was created to put isolated smallholders on the digital map. We use it to survey farms so we can support farmers better and identify risk hotspots. 

AtSource
AtSource

Powered by data from OFIS, AtSource gives you unique insights into the lives of farmers and the crops they grow, as well as environmental footprints for the product right up to the door of your manufacturing or retail facilities. AtSource not only improves transparency and traceability, it fuels change for people and planet.

Olam Direct
Olam Direct

A mobile app that allows farmers to transact directly with ofi and gain access to invaluable advice and support. Olam Direct increases traceability while also helping farmers to control their sales and earnings.

OFIS
Olam Farmer Information System (OFIS)

OFIS allows our field staff to collect data, record GPS data points for farms and social infrastructure, manage training activities, and track all "first mile" transactions including financing, input distribution, and crop purchases.

FLRI
The Forest Loss Risk Index (FLRI)

This FLRI helps us identify deforestation hotspots. It uses GPS mapping and historical deforestation rates, existing forest cover and national park boundaries to assess risk, so we can take action.

The policies underpinning it all

Our approach to responsible and sustainable sourcing is underpinned by a number of policies.

Living Landscapes

The Living Landscapes Policy supports a ‘Net-Positive’ approach to sustainable development in agricultural supply chains and landscape management. It adopts principles to support the co-existence of prosperous farmers and food systems, with thriving communities and healthy ecosystems, with the aim of putting more back into food and farming systems than is taken out.

 

Download Living Landscapes Policy

PCF Code

The Plantations, Concessions and Farms Code defines the process and standards for managing the environmental and social requirements of acquisitions and new and existing upstream developments across the entire project lifecycle. It’s applicable for ofi-owned and operated projects as well as partnerships and joint ventures in operating upstream enterprises, and applied with the Living Landscapes Policy.

 

Download PCF Code

Animal Welfare Policy

We fully support high animal welfare standards. These include not only good health, but mental wellbeing and the ability of animals to exhibit species-specific behaviour.

 

Download Animal Welfare Policy

Supplier Code 

We aim to build long-term relationships with suppliers based on responsible business practices and trust. The Supplier Code sets out our expectations to support our goal to purchase raw materials and products produced in a manner that is socially responsible, economically profitable and environmentally sustainable.

 

Download Supplier Code

What others think about our efforts

We acknowledge there is still much work to do, and we are collaborating with farmers, communities, governments, industry, NGOs, and other stakeholders, to find ways to deliver real and lasting progress.

 

For more information about our efforts, see the following reports:

 

Sustainability in specific supply chains

We’re doing lots for our specific product groups too. Find out more here:

Read ofi news

Our progress towards tackling deforestation in cocoa

Forests are vital to sustainable cocoa production. Not only do they help to improve biodiversity and mitigate against climate change, they also help to improve cocoa yields and raise farmer incomes. By improving tree cover, cocoa farmers can increase the yields and life expectancy of their cocoa trees and generate additional income from more diverse crops.

Scenic photo of a forest and a waterfall
Global Coffee Platform recognises two tiers of Olam’s AtSource programme as sustainability schemes

In a move by the Global Coffee Platform (GCP) to advance transparency and sustainability in the coffee value chain, two tiers of Olam International’s sustainability insights platform AtSource – AtSource Entry Verified1 and AtSource Plus - have been added as new sustainable sourcing schemes to the GCP Reporting on Sustainable Coffee Purchases programme2.

Screenshot of the homepage of the Atsource website
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