The supermarkets Aldi and Lidl are increasingly attentive to human rights, according to an annual supermarket ranking by Oxfam Novib. This is good news for small-scale farmers and women in developing countries who work in the ‘supply chain’ of the companies. Supermarkets Albert Heijn and Jumbo are doing less well and PLUS ‘really needs to get going’.

Since 2018, Oxfam Novib has assessed five major Dutch supermarkets (Albert Heijn, Jumbo, Aldi, Lidl and PLUS) almost annually. The organization investigates the human rights policies of supermarkets for workers, small-scale farmers and women in their supply chains in developing countries.

Compared to the previous ranking, Aldi and Lidl in particular have made big strides, says Charlotte Vollaard, expert human rights and business at Oxfam Novib.

“For the first time since the launch of the ranking in 2018, we see that some supermarkets score satisfactorily. The difference with the first ranking is big.”

The policy of Lidl and Aldi, according to Oxfam Novib, “really leads to concrete improvements.” The big differences between the leaders and the rest are determined by the choices supermarkets make in the field of international corporate social responsibility.

Yet all supermarkets can do much more to combat exploitation of workers, farmers and women, according to Oxfam.