ofi shares milestone on supporting farmer livelihoods to mark International Coffee Day

olam food ingredients (“ofi”), a global leader in naturally good food & beverage ingredients, announces that it has achieved more than half of its target to improve the livelihoods of 200,000 coffee farmers by 2025. The results are reported in its second Coffee LENS (Livelihoods, Education and Nature at Scale) sustainability impact report.

The report details the achievements made by ofi’s coffee platform in collaboration with customers and partners across 44 projects with a total funding commitment of over $50 million. Launched in 2020, ofi's Coffee LENS sustainability strategy lays out their comprehensive 2025 goals within a four-pillar framework: economic opportunity, education and skills training, climate action and healthy ecosystems. Through this strategy, ofi aims to create a more resilient supply chain and safeguard the future of coffee.

Despite challenges throughout 2022, including various supply chain disruptions, the ongoing war in Ukraine, and adverse weather effecting crops, ofi is progressing well towards creating a more resilient supply chain by making impact at the intersection of farmer livelihoods and the environment.

Vivek Verma, chief executive officer Coffee at ofi, welcomes the report as evidence of progress towards ofi’s goals.

“I’m proud of the positive steps we’ve taken towards all four of our focus areas, increasing our sustainability programs to reach 117,242 farmers, implementing 14 education remediation plans in high-risk origins to mitigate the risk of child labor, and bringing land equivalent to 47,000 football fields under regenerative agricultural practices. International Coffee Day is a timely opportunity to reflect on this progress and its importance in supporting the farmers whose livelihoods depend on our love for coffee. So, whether you’re enjoying your morning cappuccino or an indulgent spiced cold-brew, let’s acknowledge the millions of people that bring our favorite beverage from crop to cup.”

Ongoing programs provide dedicated support to producer partners in agronomy training and technical assistance, improving overall productivity and increasing average income. Under ofi’s 2025 environmental targets to regenerate coffee landscapes and reduce deforestation, over 2.4M non-coffee trees have been planted, deforestation remediation plans implemented in 75% of identified high-risk areas, and soil health improved over 34,000 hectares.

The report also details the successful deployment of ofi’s digital tools to access data, reduce carbon footprints and build a more secure supply chain. With growing requirements for traceability and environmental due diligence, AtSource - ofi’s sustainability management system - allows customers access to verified and data-based insights so they can manage and improve performance and impact in their supply chains.

Verma adds optimistically that the overall industry commitment to reducing carbon emissions aligns with ofi’s Coffee LENS progress for safeguarding the future of coffee.

"This increased appetite for improving our collective coffee footprint is particularly encouraging with the urgent need to build more resilient and regenerative supply chains. And now that we’re at the halfway mark towards our 2025 goals, this is also an opportunity to point forward to what we need to build on under our strategy for even greater impact by 2030.”