50 percent Living Wage-Bananas in German Supermarkets – Progress report 2025 of the banana project of German retailers

The German Retailers Working Group on Living Wages and Incomes has published its Progress Report 2025 for the project “Towards Living Wages in the Banana Sector,” highlighting significant advances in improving wages and working conditions across banana supply chains in Latin America.

A key achievement of 2025 was the successful attainment of the Working Group’s target: at least 50% of banana volumes sourced for the German market now come from farms that meet defined living wage criteria. This milestone reflects years of collaboration between retailers, producers, supply chain partners, and development organizations to address persistent wage gaps in banana production.

The report outlines the implementation of the Living Wage Program, which involved more than 400 farms across seven producing countries (Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Peru and Ecuador) and covered wage data from over 42,000 workers. Independent third-party verification and enhanced data collection systems helped strengthen transparency and accountability throughout the process.

To support farms where living wage gaps remain, participating retailers initiated the distribution of approximately USD 413,000 in voluntary contributions, providing additional financial support aimed at improving worker livelihoods.

Beyond wage data and financial contributions, the report highlights progress in aligning voluntary contribution mechanisms across the sector, assessing responsible purchasing practices, and exploring long-term solutions such as Living Wage Reference Prices. The Working Group also laid the foundation for future partnerships with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and CNV Internationaal to strengthen social dialogue, worker representation, and institutional capacity.

Looking ahead, the initiative will continue scaling its Living Wage Program in 2026 while focusing on embedding living wage approaches into standard business practices and sector-wide systems. The ultimate goal is to create sustainable, long-term improvements in wages and working conditions through shared responsibility across the banana value chain.

The full report provides detailed insights into achievements, lessons learned, and next steps toward building a more equitable and sustainable banana sector.