Stakeholder engagement

The Ajinomoto Group aims to contribute to health and well-being of every person on the planet by delivering our products and services. We identify the diverse preferences and needs of consumers, and then provide value that meets these preferences and needs.

Our customer call center for product inquiries sincerely listens to each opinion and inquiry, we analyze this feedback, and then discuss and explore issues along with methods for improvement with the relevant business department. We also provide a variety of food-related experiences and information through our Group website, factory tours, events, and more.

Our shareholders and investors have high expectations regarding the management and the businesses of the Ajinomoto Group. We strive to enhance corporate value sustainably. Through our efforts, we endeavor to enhance shareholder return in a stable and consistent way.

We hold events to deepen an understanding of our Group. These events include general meetings of shareholders, financial results briefings, IR Days and business briefings for institutional investors and analysts, dialogues with institutional investors, company briefings for individual investors, and more. Further, we strive to disclose information in a timely and appropriate manner.

We strive to offer immediate responses to opinions and questions received at events and during direct dialogues. We also provide content on our website to deepen an understanding of the Group, including videos of briefings and Q&A sessions.

The Ajinomoto Group seeks mutual growth with business partners and conducts fair and transparent transactions in compliance with laws, regulations, and other rules.

Our daily procurement and sales activities are based on the Group Shared Policy on Procurement and Group Shared Policy for Suppliers. We conduct procurement policy briefings and audits to share our expectations with business partners, with which they graciously understand and cooperate.

We are also making improvements to our products, such as adopting environmentally conscious packaging materials, through dialogue with our suppliers.

For the Ajinomoto Group to contribute to society through our businesses and to grow as a company, we must have the active participation of every employee.

We are working to build an organizational culture that supports employee growth and encourages diversity and inclusion, as well as to provide various skills development and training opportunities necessary in building individual employee careers. In addition, we strive to promote an understanding of management and bring employee voices to management through direct dialogues with employees, the CEO, and general managers of business or corporate divisions, as well as AGP worksite meetings and social media platforms connecting employees globally.

Through dialogues between management and employees, such as in labor-management meetings, we are also deepening a mutual understanding about the work environment, including occupational safety and health, as well as compensation and benefits.

For reporting and consultation, we have not only established hotlines and internal and external harassment consulting services, but we have also established consulting services for persons with disabilities and those who identify as LGBT, taking appropriate action while safeguarding privacy.

The Ajinomoto Group, which has business locations around the world, works to maintain communication and build relationships with local communities.

The Group engages in business and provides products and services that vary from region to region. The needs of residents living within a region are also diverse. For this reason, we emphasize communication rooted in each local area. We work closely with national and local governments to understand the health and nutritional issues that exist in the region, taking steps to resolve these issues. We also engage proactively in dialogue with consumers residing near our factories, and we sponsor events in our local communities. In the event of a natural disaster, we provide recovery assistance for the communities affected.

After the spread of COVID-19, we provided support to households, restaurants, medical institutions, and other facilities.

To deepen our understanding of social issues, we hold dialogues and discussions with outside experts who have proven track records in each field, NPOs, NGOs, and business associations. We incorporate the results of these interactions in specific actions.

As for global initiatives, NPOs and NGOs have expressed their expectation that the Group will strengthen efforts to address the double burden of malnutrition. In response to this feedback, we engage with international organizations such as GAIN^[1] and ATNFsup>[2]. And we take concrete action for nutritional improvement through local collaborative ecosystems and other methods.

As for initiatives in Japan, the sustainability of food distribution faces dangers due to a shortage of drivers and unique business practices. Through dialogue with stakeholders, the Group has identified issues and is working to realize smart distribution by engaging with business associations and collaborating with government agencies, making improvements to operational efficiency such as standardizing exterior packaging size and digitizing, and improving working environments for distribution workers.