Along with society
Human Rights Due Diligence in Coffee Bean Procurement
Coffee beans are one of the key raw materials used by the Ajinomoto Group. Coffee is a beverage familiar to all. The coffee supply chain, however, entails the risk of worker human rights violations due to reduced harvests caused by climate change and the labor-intensive harvesting and shipping processes.
Risk of Human Rights Violations in the Supply Chain
Ajinomoto Group company Ajinomoto AGF, Inc. manufactures and sells coffee products in Japan. One of the main countries supplying raw materials to Ajinomoto AGF is Vietnam.
A preliminary desktop study revealed the risks of several human rights violations in the coffee bean supply chain in Vietnam: child labor, discrimination, and occupational health and safety. We traveled to Vietnam in April 2023 to hold dialogues with stakeholders in the supply chain (farmers, exporters, etc.), conducting an inspection as part of human rights due diligence based on international standards. We found several areas for improvement, and our team traveled to Vietnam again in September 2024 to follow up with the goal of reducing and preventing human rights risks.
Conducting Inspections and Follow-Up Through Dialogue With Stakeholders
The Ajinomoto Group considers dialogues to be a crucial part of human rights due diligence. Our 2023 inspection did not find any obvious serious human rights violations (child labor, forced labor, etc.). However, the human rights experts (NGOs) who accompanied us pointed out the risks related to contracts entered into verbally, rather than in writing, between farmers and short-term laborers and occupational health and safety-related risks in work flow and equipment for export workers in warehouses.
We began studying risk reduction and prevention measures in this area, and in 2024, we gathered importers and local exporters for a presentation on human rights tailored to coffee bean farmers. As part of the presentation, we highlighted Ajinomoto AGF products and shared with the farmers the long-standing popularity of Vietnamese coffee beans in Japan, as well as the Ajinomoto Group commitment to sustainable sourcing. We also visited local exporters to communicate Ajinomoto Group policies and the importance of occupational health and safety, taking the opportunity to exchange opinions.
Dialogue with stakeholders
Continuing Reporting and Dialogue With Stakeholders Based on International Standards
The ASSC prepared a report in 2023 with details on the confirmation and inspection of human rights risks in 2023.
The Ajinomoto Group is committed to making every effort to engage in dialogue with local suppliers to reduce the risk of human rights violations in accordance with international standards and build a better supply chain.
