4. Depth of the Value Chain

The company states what significance aspects of sustainability have for added value and how deep in the value chain the sustainability criteria are verified.

Value chain
Our decisions have implications across the entire value chain, which is why we are taking action through our sustainability efforts wherever we can make improvements.  


Value chain of the company:   Please use the following links for further information:

Our impact  

Non-Food
Our objective is to enable millions of customers in Europe to shop in our stores with a good conscience. To make this possible, we take responsibility for safe and fair working conditions and compliance with environmental standards wherever we can make a difference. Our non-food range includes, among other things, textiles, cosmetic and toiletry products, and weekly special-buy products – from electronics and household goods to furniture. The supply chains behind these products are diverse and complex. During production, non-food products often pass through several production sites in various different countries. Hence, the challenges are complex as well: Issues such as building safety, living wages or reducing the use of chemicals in textile production require cross-sector cooperation among companies, governments and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). That is why we have joined forces with other players to work on these challenges in global initiatives such as amfori BSCI (Business Social Compliance Initiative).  

We focus on long-term, fair and reliable business relationships with suppliers who share our understanding of quality and responsibility. They have the goods that we have commissioned manufactured at production facilities in countries such as China, Bangladesh or Turkey. Together, we work on enforcing high environmental and social standards. Our measures focus on countries of origin in which the risk of violations of social and environmental standards is increased. We are guided in this process by the list of countries that amfori (formerly the Foreign Trade Association – FTA) has classified as risk countries. With regard to working conditions, we subject our suppliers and the production facilities they place orders with to clearly defined requirements.  

Food
Our food product range is made up primarily of own-brand products that we select and design for our customers. We define purchasing policies for specific resources and internal purchasing guidelines while pursuing a risk-based approach. This means that we take action where environmental or social challenges exist – and where we can therefore achieve the greatest impact through our improvements. We work in close cooperation with our suppliers and are in constant contact regarding our sustainability requirements to enable them to implement our standards. We also participate in cross-sector and multistakeholder initiatives on a variety of topics, such as tropical and subtropical fruits. The traceability of products is gaining more and more importance for us to manage the conversion of resources all the way through to the producer. The ALDI Transparency Code (ATC) allows our customers to quickly find out where various products come from. In addition, we work with recognised sustainability labels, seals and certificates.  

Please use the following links for further information: