Partnership with ALDI SOUTH Group on living income in Honduras

The rich and complex notes of Honduran arabica beans are prized by coffee lovers for their exceptional quality, reflecting the country’s distinctive microclimates and high altitude. Most of the coffee is cultivated by smallholder farmers on just a few hectares of land, which means production is centered on quality rather than quantity.

In 2025, ofi and ALDI SOUTH Group concluded a four-year pilot project to support 1,000 coffee producers in the Comayagua and Santa Barbara regions to improve their productivity, quality and incomes.

Farmers in the program received training on Good Agricultural Practices, access to improved coffee varieties, agricultural inputs including fertilizers, tools, and technical assistance on post-harvest processing to enhance bean quality. The project also supported farmers in establishing home gardens for nutritional diversity and provided opportunities for additional income through shade tree management and intercropping.

ofi’s Living Income Calculator was used to establish baseline measurements and track progress over the project period. This data-driven approach enabled both ofi and ALDI to assess the effectiveness of interventions and adjust support as needed. The calculator helped identify specific income drivers that could be influenced through targeted support, including yield improvements, quality premiums, income diversification opportunities and cost reduction through more efficient input use.

The project shows that achieving living income requires a multi-faceted approach that addresses productivity, quality, costs and economic alternatives. It also highlighted the importance of long-term commitment from both suppliers and customers, with sustained engagement over multiple crop cycles necessary to achieve meaningful livelihood improvements. The results of the program contribute to ongoing efforts to scale living income approaches across our coffee supply chains and will inform future projects with partners.

“The training has helped me keep my yields stable. Without this support, I would not have reached this level of productivity.”

Joaquin Meza Garcia

Coffee farmer ‘Finca La Holgazana’, Honduras.