CGE Partner in Focus - More than just playtime: how the right childcare support can contribute to more sustainable supply chains

ofi works with nearly half a million farmers globally through the sustainability programmes it runs with some of the world’s biggest household brands. As such, ofi considers prosperous farmers and thriving communities to be critical for the sustainability of its supply chains. ofi announced the first company commitment to CGE last year, setting a goal to reach 250,000 women farmers in ofi supply chains with enhanced livelihood support, and targeting 750,000 households in communities where ofi operates to receive enhanced nutrition or health support. 

What was once a single initiative has expanded into a global initiative across the different countries ofi sources commodities from. ofi’s Choices for Change sustainability strategy sets out to establish daycare centres in multiple origins for children in farming communities as well as ofi's coffee estates and processing facilities. 

“Thanks to our relationships with communities on the ground and the support of our customers, we’ve seen how these daycare centres enable more parents to work, knowing that they are leaving their children in safe hands. In doing so, we’ve also seen how they can support other goals  like improving gender equality, workforce stability, and community development,” said Janhavi Naidu, ofi’s Human Rights Manager. 

With 36 percent of working women employed in agrifood systems, they are essential to food production and security. Access to quality childcare can make a significant difference, helping them get back into work, reducing absenteeism, and improving child development outcomes. FAO’s 2023 report on “The Status of Women in Agrifood Systems” documents that women’s greater domestic and childcare responsibilities, especially when children are young, constrain their participation in full-time and higher-productivity roles across agrifood systems, driving persistent gaps in earnings and job quality. Globally, women perform the vast majority of unpaid care work, creating “time poverty” that limits paid work and enterprise growth. 

Providing affordable, quality childcare and other family-friendly policies delivers a “triple dividend”: it enables mothers’ (re)entry and retention in work, reduces absenteeism, and improves child and maternal well-being. In agrifood contexts, expanding childcare, alongside complementary measures like parental leave and flexible work, can therefore help stabilize women’s employment across seasonal peaks and support their transition into better-paid segments, with positive knock-on effects for household food security. 

Seasonal support during the coffee harvest in Honduras

The busy coffee harvest season in the Republic of Honduras can be challenging for parents of young children, especially as it coincides with the school holidays. To support them, ofi’s local team, in partnership with customers, set up temporary ‘Coffee Kindergartens’ in three different communities to provide safe spaces for the children of coffee farmers and community members to learn and play while their parents are working on the farms. Ana Alba, a local teacher, said: “This is the first time there is something like this in our community. I'm involved in the community as a teacher, and both of my kids took part in the Coffee Kindergarten.  During harvest season, some kids tend to forget about their books and schoolwork, but for many of them, it’s clear that the time they spent at the Coffee Kindergarten really made a difference."

Making daycare accessible for workers at a remote cocoa farm in Indonesia 

At a 2 000-hectare cocoa farm in Seram, the largest island in Maluku Province in the Republic of Indonesia, ofi employs more than 800 workers, of which 40 percent are women. The farm's location means that there are limited childcare options available. 

To help overcome this challenge, ofi has four daycare centres that care for children from 3 months to 10 years old, free of charge and open to all its workers. In 2021, the centres underwent modernization with the installation of new equipment. While some children spend the whole day enjoying playtime and socialisation, others attend the centres as an after-school activity until their parents finish their workday. Children receive meals and early learning under the care of trained staff. Designated breastfeeding rooms are also available, and new mothers are provided a 30-minute paid nursing break during work hours. The centres are also expanding their services to other parents within the local communities.

Valuing the impact of a breastfeeding support program in nuts processing facilities in Viet Nam

Intended to provide adequate space and equipment and allow time for pregnant women, lactating mothers or women with children below two years old, ofi implemented a breastfeeding support program in 11 nuts-processing facilities across the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. From tailored coaching to lactation rooms, and policy integration to support women returning to work after maternity leave, this program demonstrated a social return on investment of USD 2.80 per dollar invested over five years. Highlighting the value of integrating rights-based support into operational environments and fostering resilient, inclusive workforces, the social return on investment study also showed a 6 percent increase in return-to-work rates after maternity leave, helping retain skilled employees while improving their well-being. 

Government-certified daycare for cashew factory workers in Anyama, Côte d’Ivoire

In the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire, few parents have access to daycare services and often depend on support from family members. As daycare services are expensive and family members less available, ofi’s Anyama cashew factory team opened a daycare centre in 2021.  The centre BahKan Déni, simply meaning ‘children’, offers the factory employees – 70 percent of whom are women day workers – a safe space and trained professionals to take care of their children. 
“The project started by having conversations with the parents, raising awareness of the benefits daycare can offer them and at no cost. All they need to provide for the day are diapers and food for their child. It didn’t take much to convince them, and we are extremely happy to see more parents making regular use of the Centre,” says Mélissa Mwamba, Project Lead for BahKan Déni. 

As one of the first daycare centres in the country to be officially certified by the government within a food processing facility, BahKan Déni has now reached its maximum capacity with 100 children enrolled. The spacious and colorful daycare premise provides children with a stimulating and pleasant environment in which to play, learn and relax. “Since my daughter is at the daycare, I feel reassured because she’s in a safe environment, and the staff are welcoming. Since she has attended daycare, she has blossomed,” says Edith Ahou Kouakou, a mother using the daycare services for her daughter. Located on-site, in a quiet and safe area, children are well-supervised while remaining close to their parents, who can go about their daily routine with peace of mind.

These initiatives are examples of how ofi is working towards its CGE commitments and broader 2030 Choices for Change targets to promote women's inclusion and protect human rights in its supply chains. 

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