Human Rights Due Diligence

The Ajinomoto Group ("the Group") engages in the human rights due diligence process in accordance with the Group Shared Policy on Human Rights and other relevant policies. Under these policies, we conduct dialogues and consults with stakeholders and collaborate with human rights experts.

The Ajinomoto Group human rights due diligence process

The Ajinomoto Group Human Rights Due Diligence Process

The status and results of human rights due diligence within the Ajinomoto Group are as follows.

(1) Human rights risk assessment

Target and implementation method: An assessment of raw materials procurement, production, and sales across all Ajinomoto Group businesses using the Verisk Maplecroft human rights risk database and receiving advice from external experts (2018, 2022)

Major high-risk matters identified: Occupational safety and health (risks within the business), child labor, and forced labor

Major high-risk countries/regions identified: Thailand and Brazil (2018) and Southeast Asian countries and Brazil (2022)

Identified risk groups: third-party employees, migrant workers

(2) Human rights impact assessment

Target and implementation method: On-site surveys across the seafood processing and poultry industry supply chain in Thailand (2018), desktop surveys and remote interviews with stakeholders across the sugarcane and coffee industry in Brazil (2021-2022)

Issues identified: Inadequate complaint mechanisms in Thailand and Brazil (measures under consideration)

(Reference) Report: 

(3) Prevention, monitoring, and remediation

  • Supply chain management using Sedex
  • Endorsed the Tokyo Declaration on the Responsible Acceptance of Foreign Workers in Japan 2020 drafted by the Global Alliance for Sustainable Supply Chains (ASSC); requested suppliers create work environments in which non-Japanese nationals in Japan can work securely and comfortably
  • Introduced a system to monitor the opinions of non-Japanese nationals working at three group companies in Japan

(4) Information disclosure, education and training

  • Communicating the Ajinomoto Group Policies, which clearly states our support for the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, to Group employees
  • Conducting human rights awareness training to develop human resources with a firm sense of human rights
  • Disclosing our human rights initiatives through our official corporate website