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ofi recognised as industry leader on living income for second consecutive year
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Wednesday, 15 April, 2026, 08 : 00 AM [IST]
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Connecticut, USA
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ofi has been recognised as the most advanced company in the food and agriculture sector for its efforts to close living income gaps by the Platform Living Wage Financials (PLWF). The ranking reflects its structured, evidence-based approach to making inroads into tackling the living income problem.
According to PLWF, it is one of four companies to disclose the (estimated) income gaps between the incomes in their supply chains and established benchmarks. It is also the only company to show the effectiveness of its policy in closing the gaps.
It has collaborated with customers and partners to advance farmer livelihoods for over two decades. Under its Choices for Change sustainability strategy, it is working towards two 2030 goals: providing livelihood support to 1 million farming households, and a north star for 200,000 farmer households in its network to achieve a living income. In 2024, the company provided livelihood support to over 450,000 farmers, and more than 150,000 of them earned a living income. The company notes that living income remains heavily influenced by external factors such as commodity prices, so progress is best understood by tracking trends over time using consistent, data-led measurement.
Roel van Poppel, chief sustainability officer at ofi, said, “Living income is a complex, systemic challenge shaped by factors beyond any single company’s control, from land size and productivity to wider economic conditions, so this recognition is encouragement to deepen collective action rather than a signal that the job is done.”
By sharing our tools, data, and learnings, we aim to help partners better understand the challenges of living income in their supply chains. This enables more targeted actions to drive progress, while promoting a common understanding of the private sector's role in this space.”
To encourage sector-wide alignment, it is working with other industry partners, led by SaaS platform TRACT and IDH, to refine its Living Income Calculator. This initiative aims to help turn what is currently a costly and complex process into one that is simpler, collaborative, and comparable across the industry. It offers a practical tool to help companies address the steps outlined in the new technical guidance for Living Income in Due Diligence, recently presented by LICOP at an EU Parliament roundtable hosted by MEP Saskia Bricmont. As an active participant in the event, organised by the Living Income Community of Practice and the Fair-Trade Advocacy Office (FTAO), it shared key living income learnings with policymakers.
In a four-year partnership with ALDI and coffee farmers in Honduras, the Living Income Calculator was used to help understand the size of the living income challenge, the nature of the gap, and guide targeted support - from improved agronomy to literacy training. The most vulnerable farmers saw their average yields increase from 706 kg/ha to 957 kg/ha (+35%). While yield estimates are inherently challenging and should be interpreted with caution, the result points to encouraging progress.
Alena Kahle, senior policy and project coordinator at the Fair-Trade Advocacy Office, said, " We have been pleased to collaborate with ofi and welcome them into key discussions with EU decision makers. In a policy landscape filled with noise and where some narratives challenge the value of due diligence and living incomes, ofi has strongly emphasised that responsible business conduct is essential for supply chain resilience and long-term competitiveness.”
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