Message from the CEO

The history of the Ajinomoto Group began in 1908, when Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, driven by the desire to improve the nutritional health of the Japanese people, discovered umami, and our founder, Saburosuke Suzuki, introduced AJI-NO-MOTO_® Umami Seasoning to the world as a commercial product. Even now, over a century later, the founding aspiration of “Eat Well, Live Well.” is being carried forward in the form of ASV (Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value), an initiative aimed at co-creating both social value and economic value while helping to resolve social issues.

The Ajinomoto Group has grown by creating various businesses built from amino acid research. Amino acids form the main ingredient in the AJI-NO-MOTO_® umami seasoning. Today, the Purpose of the Ajinomoto Group is to contribute through global businesses to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with "AminoScience." At the same time, our business places a heavy burden on the environment. As the global environment reaches its limits, we feel the urgent need to reduce that burden and regenerate resources.
Our businesses are supported by sound agrifood systems, or in other words, stable access to food resources and the verdant natural environment supporting these resources. We strive to create healthier, better living to extend healthy life expectancies. Our only path to this goal is through products and services as part of tasty, nutritionally balanced diets, as well as a reduced environmental footprint supported by our addressing climate change, ensuring the sustainability of food resources, and conserving biodiversity.

I was honored to speak at COP29 in Azerbaijan last year at the Japan Pavilion event. During my comments, I highlighted the efforts of Ajinomoto do Brasil Industria e Comercio de Alimentos Ltda. in reducing greenhouse gases when I served as president there. COP30 will be held in Brazil this November. We expect to see advancements in sustainable agrifood systems toward new and stronger rules related to international frameworks on climate change. The Ajinomoto Group fully leverages our strengths in "AminoScience" to commercialize and test products and services that positively impact society. At the same time, we reduce negative impacts, including our impact on the environment. We are committed to delivering on our significant potential to meet your lofty expectations.

Sustainability is increasingly important as the world faces numerous social issues demanding solutions. The Ajinomoto Group strives to solve these social issues, working hand-in-hand with diverse stakeholders as we continue to build higher levels of corporate value. To this end, I am determined to lead our tireless efforts to achieve the challenging and ambitious goals of our 2030 ASV indicators. I look forward to working in cooperation with our employees and all concerned parties who share our Purpose. Thank you for your continued support.