"Affected rightsholders receive payments from banana producers in Costa Rica: “That means a lot to us!”", 6 November 2025

...Following a complaint by Oxfam and the Costa Rican trade union SITRAP regarding labour law violations at a banana supplier, Aldi worked constructively to find a solution. With success: Affected rightsholders are now receiving payments from the producer in Costa Rica.

In the summer of 2023, Oxfam, together with the Costa Rican trade union SITRAP and the Ecuadorian trade union ASTAC, filed complaints with Aldi, Lidl, Edeka, and Rewe under the German Act on Corporate Due Diligence Obligations in Supply Chains (in short: Supply Chain Act) for labour rights violations on banana plantations in Costa Rica and Ecuador. The allegations at the time: low wage payment, aerial spraying with pesticides, and discrimination against union members. These are all violations of rights protected by the Supply Chain Act...

Since receiving the complaint, Aldi has worked constructively to find a solution.

The first key step: Aldi started a negotiation with the Costa Rican trade union SITRAP, which filed the complaint, listened, and worked with its supplier and the local producer to find solutions. This is exactly what the Supply Chain Act and its European counterpart, the EU CSDDD, stipulate...

Aldi then conducted its own on-site investigations, involving the union in the process. The result: Some of the alleged abuses were confirmed and, hence working collectively on solutions was possible.

The following negotiations with suppliers, the union, and Oxfam focused on irregularities in payroll accounting. In the presence of labor lawyers from Costa Rica, affected rightsholders finally had the opportunity to present their views in detail..

Two years later, in August 2025, a breakthrough was achieved: the producer in Costa Rica made payments to a group of complainants... The complaint is a good example of how companies can successfully exert influence and thus contribute to successful remedial measures.

At the request of the supplier and the producer, it was agreed to maintain confidentiality regarding both the amount of the payments and the number and identity of the affected rightsholders who received payments. The affected rightsholders, SITRAP, and Oxfam agreed to this in order to enable the payments to be made. It is essential for the producer and the supplier that the payments do not constitute an admission of guilt.

The complaint shows that the effective involvement of rights holders is crucial to the success of complaint procedures. The lessons learned from this case should serve as a blueprint for the BAFA and other companies...

This article has in its original version been published in German here.