04/28/2025 | Press release | Archived content
As we realize sustainable growth through Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value (ASV), the Ajinomoto Group engages in the SDGs and other efforts related to the international consensus on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) policies. In doing so, we recognize that all business activities must be premised on respect for human rights. We support international standards for human rights including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work and its Follow-up, and the United Nations Global Compact. Further, we have established our own Ajinomoto Group Shared Policy on Human Rights. This policy is based on the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) and ensures that as a corporate group that conducts business globally, all of the Ajinomoto Group companies, and officers and employees respect internationally recognized human rights and comply thoroughly with international human rights obligations and related laws and regulations of the countries where we operate. In addition, we encourage our business partners and other related parties (including upstream suppliers) to support this policy and respect human rights, and work together to promote respect for human rights.
The Ajinomoto Group Shared Policy on Human Rights and other policies are approved by the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee before being signed by the president and CEO.
The Ajinomoto Group pursues ESG and sustainability initiatives that include respect for human rights in the supply chain. We pursue these efforts under the Board of Directors, mainly through the Sustainability Committee, a subordinate body of the Executive Committee. The Sustainability Committee and the Sustainability Development Department create roadmaps regarding human rights initiatives in the supply chain, make proposals, and provide support to incorporate sustainability into business plans. These two bodies report to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors.
In addition, the Business Conduct Committee and its subordinate body, the Human Rights Specialist Committee, lead efforts of the Ajinomoto Group to address human rights issues among employees.
The Board of Directors, Executive Committee, Sustainability Advisory Council, and Sustainability Committee hold respective discussions on human rights topics as appropriate.
In accordance with the UNGPs and the Group Shared Policy on Human Rights, the Ajinomoto Group engages in dialogue and consultation with third-party experts* on human rights and other stakeholders. In this way, we ensure respect for human rights for all stakeholders (employees, business partners, local communities, customers, etc.) across the Ajinomoto Group value chain, including production and sales across all businesses, as part of our human rights due diligence process.
At Ajinomoto Group, dialogue with rights-holders is of utmost importance to us when building our management system covering the entire value chain based on the UNGPs. We established the following eight priority human rights issues related to the value chain based on interviews across the Ajinomoto Group. Among them, we prioritized human rights violations upstream in the supply chain and forced labor among migrant workers as a particular high risk.Our human rights due diligence is mainly conducted on these two issue areas. We intend to review priority human rights issues on a regular basis. In the fiscal year 2025, the review will be carried out through workshops in which relevant departments across Group will meet and discuss.
We pursue initiatives related to human rights upstream in the supply chain, focusing on two aspects: depth and comprehensiveness. In our approach to depth , our main focus is on the direct dialogue with rights holders. Our approach to comprehensiveness supplements the depth approach, aiming for the comprehensive identification and recognition of the risks not thoroughly covered. We are committed to minimizing human rights risks in the value chain through these efforts.
Based on country-specific human rights risk assessment results, we conduct on-site visits in high-risk countries and regions, engaging in direct dialogues with stakeholders affected by our businesses rights-holders such as workers of business partners and local communities etc., NPO/NGOs to grasp human rights impacts and issues.
The Ajinomoto Group established the Group Shared Policy for Suppliers, which describes seven expectations of suppliers necessary to fulfill our corporate responsibility, social responsibility, and contributions to a sustainable society. In addition, our Guidelines for Group Shared Policy for Suppliers states clear, specific actions for suppliers to take under two categories:
QAPS is an evaluation chart that surveys (in questionnaire format) whether specific practices are in place based on requirements for suppliers in accordance with the Guidelines for Group Shared Policy for Suppliers. The questionnaire consists of 86 items and covers our efforts to address human rights due diligence as required by ILO and other global standards. We rate the overall implementation status of the requirements at suppliers on a 5-point scale based on the responses. Another purpose of this questionnaire is to encourage suppliers to understand their own human rights risks and explore ways to correct and make improvements. When we identify a supplier as high-risk, the Ajinomoto Group engages in dialogue with the said supplier, providing support to prevent and improve human rights issues.
〈Survey Results〉
We conduct surveys of suppliers regarding their compliance with the Guidelines for Group Shared Policy for Suppliers according to the following phases and in light of the Ajinomoto Group business environment.
We plan to engage in dialogues with suppliers and improve the risk conditions of the suppliers who responded to the 2023-2024 survey (roughly 30 companies; schedule to be determined). We plan to expand the survey to overseas suppliers in 2025 and later, conducting a survey of suppliers in countries and regions with high human rights risks identified in our country-specific human rights risk assessments.
The Ajinomoto Group recognizes the vulnerable situation of migrant workers who are often exposed to high risks such as forced labour.
In 2020, we voiced our support for the Tokyo Declaration 2020 on Responsible Acceptance of Foreign Workers in Japan formulated by the Global Alliance for Sustainable Supply Chain (ASSC) regarding the recruitment of foreign workers under Technical Intern Training Program or those with Specified Skilled Worker visa. In fiscal 2021, we participated in the development of the Responsible Employment Guidelines for Migrant Workers as Technical Intern Trainees and Specified Skilled Workers in Japan as a member of the CGF Social Sustainability Working Group.
Based on these guidelines, we visited and held dialogues with supervising organizations and registered support organizations related to the technical intern trainees employed by domestic Ajinomoto Group companies and organizations that support the registration of Specific Skilled Workers. Through these efforts, we confirm that technical intern trainees and specified skilled workers are appropriately paid and provided support in their work and daily lives.
We also regularly visit sites where foreign workers are employed, mainly in domestic Ajinomoto Group companies, to understand and confirm working and housing conditions. We regularly hold direct dialogues with foreign workers and other on-site employees responsible for foreign workers to identify and remedy human rights risks.
Visits and dialogues with foreign workers at their employment sites have revealed the reality that foreign workers have borne recruitment-related costs in their home countries. In response, the Ajinomoto Group formulated Ajinomoto Group's Approach to Recruitment-Related Costs for Migrant Workers (March 2025) in compliance with the IHRB Dhaka Declaration, an international human rights standard, and the norms of international organizations such as the IOM and ILO. Our approach document clearly states that recruitment-related costs, including recruitment and placement fees, should be borne by the employer, not the worker. We will correct any problems that arise in accordance with this approach. We encourage all stakeholders involved in the employment of foreign workers (including recruitment agents and business partners) to do the same.
The Ajinomoto Group holds training and briefing sessions on business and human rights for directors, employees, and business partners as needed.
(1) Anti-harassment measures
Each corporate entity in Japan provides a harassment counselor and a sexual minority (LGBT) counselor to offer a safe environment for consultation. We provide annual training (classroom lecture and role-play) conducted by an outside instructor to managers to update their knowledge. Role-play sessions cover examples likely to occur at each company, and participants learn how to deal with such situations.
(2) Human Rights in Business e-learning video
We provide an e-learning video(English/Japanese) on human rights issues across the value chain to Group employees in Japan and overseas. We created the video based on the Ajinomoto Group Shared Policy on Human Rights, aiming to raise awareness of Ajinomoto Group's priority human rights issues and make human rights issues more personal to every employee. Considering the diverse backgrounds of viewers, this video includes subtitles and narration, and in some overseas subsidiaries, distribution in the native language has also begun.
The Ajinomoto Group adheres to human rights laws and regulations in each country as we develop our business globally.
The Ajinomoto Group has disclosed the following statement from related local subsidiary regarding the California Transparency in Supply Chains Acts of 2010, which was enacted in California, USA.
The Ajinomoto Group holds regular dialogues with human rights experts and stakeholders, sharing and communicating our initiatives externally as case studies to further our efforts to respect human rights and to obtain expert opinions.
The Ajinomoto Group established several consultation and reporting offices within and outside the group to promptly and appropriately address damage resulting from adverse human rights impacts. These consultation and reporting channels are operated in accordance with the 'Group Shared Policy on Whistle-blowing.' Each consultation office strictly protects whistleblower's privacy, and related departments work together to appropriately address and resolve the situation.
All employees (full-time employees, part-time employees, temporary employees, etc.) of the Ajinomoto Group, including overseas, can consult and report to the 'Ajinomoto Group Hotline.' This channel is globally accessible, allowing employees of group companies with overseas bases to consult in their native languages, supporting a total of 22 languages including English, Thai, and Vietnamese. In addition to the 'Ajinomoto Group Hotline,' there are also company-specific hotlines operated by group companies and 'Harassment and sexual minorities (LGBT), persons with disabilities Consultation Channels,' allowing for the selection of the appropriate reporting channel based on the content and situation of the consultation. Furthermore, consultations and reports can be made not only by the individual but also by colleagues or family members, and early consultation is encouraged while issues are still minor. Whistleblowers can choose to report either with their real name or anonymously.
The Ajinomoto Group established the Supplier Hotline in fiscal 2018 as a contact point for reporting from suppliers. Reports and consultations are accepted not only from primary suppliers but from all business partners in the supply chain. Additionally, the 'The Group Customer Service Center' accepts reports and consultations from all stakeholders in the value chain, including customers and local residents.
The Ajinomoto Group has been participating in an advisory capacity since the 2020 establishment of the Japan Platform for Migrant Workers toward Responsible and Inclusive Society (JP-MIRAI) created by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) together with other stakeholders, including companies, lawyers, and NGOs. The platform aims to resolve issues faced by technical intern trainees and Specific Skilled Workers. In fiscal 2022, we participated in the Consultation and Relief Pilot Project for Migrant Workers launched by JP-MIRAI. We provide appropriate information and consultation services to foreign workers employed by Ajinomoto Group companies in Japan.
We will also encourage our suppliers and business partners who employ foreign workers to offer similar services as a means to quickly identify labor and human rights issues in their supply chains.
JP-MIRAI addresses issues faced by foreign workers in Japan through correct information for everyday living and a consulting desk offering assistance in native languages (JP-MIRAI Assist).
JP-MIRAI Assist is a consulting desk for foreign workers living in Japan. Consulting is available by phone, chat, or e-mail, and foreign workers use the service to discuss general problems with employment and everyday living in Japan encountered by an individual or his/her family. As of February 2025, JP-MIRAI Assist provides services in 22 languages, with more to be added in the future. Depending on the nature of the consultation, the service also offers accompaniment to government agencies and specialists to provide appropriate support.