Respect for human rights
The Calbee Group upholds the Calbee Group Code of Conduct based on the corporate philosophy, which states, “We are committed to harnessing nature’s gifts, to bringing taste and fun, and to contributing to healthy lifestyles.” We strive to achieve a sustainable society through co-creation with stakeholders, bringing new value derived from nature’s gifts. We acknowledge the potential for direct or indirect impacts on human rights in all business activities within our value chain, and we are committed to respecting the human rights of all individuals involved in our business. In March 2024, we established the Calbee Group Human Rights Policy. In accordance with this policy, we are promoting activities related to respect for human rights. The current salient issues are human rights issues in the supply chain, the rights of foreign workers, and harassment.
1. History of respect for human rights initiatives
| Month and year | Description of initiative | Supplementary explanation |
|---|---|---|
| January 2006 | Started helpline operations | |
| April 2006 | Established the Calbee Group Code of Conduct | |
| February 2018 | Released the Statement Relating to the UK Modern Slavery Act | Released every year thereafter |
| October 2021 | Amended the Calbee Group Code of Conduct | Clearly indicated respect for human rights in the title |
| April 2022 | Amended the Calbee Group Procurement Policy | |
| Established the Calbee Group Palm Oil Procurement Policy | ||
| CSR/Sustainable Procurement Self-Assessment | Initially conducted against 53 companies, it has continued to be broadened. | |
| March 2024 | Established the Calbee Group Human Rights Policy | Disclosed internally and externally |
| Signed the United Nations Global Compact | ||
| April 2024 | Launched the Project to Promote Respect for Human Rights | |
| August 2024 | Conducted human rights due diligence | Covering Calbee and its domestic affiliates |
| September 2024 | Published the Respect for Human Rights Newsletter | Awareness-raising among employees |
| October 2024 | Committed to respect for human rights | Disclosed on the Company’s website |
| February 2025 | Conducted e-Learning “Business and human rights” | Conducted for management |
| April 2025 | Established the Human Rights Committee |
2. Main initiatives in FY2024
(1) Conducting human rights due diligence (hereinafter referred to as human rights DD)
Together with employees
We have started human rights DD on Calbee and our domestic affiliates to make sure there are no human rights issues in FY2024. Diagnostic items have been set up to perform the human rights DD. This time, approximately 150 questions have been prepared in eight categories, including items related to working hours, occupational health and safety, foreign workers, technical intern training, and discrimination. We received responses to these questions from human resources personnel at 12 out of the 17 factories in Japan. We directly visited factories where foreign workers are employed, and held interviews with the individuals, their leaders, and supervisors. The details of findings from the human rights DD are as follows. Cases related to laws and regulations have been promptly addressed and settled.
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・With regard to employment of foreign workers, unfair working conditions were being applied at some business locations (addressed and settled)
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・There were some cases where explanatory materials posted at sites where foreign workers are engaged in work were not prepared in a language that foreign nationals understand (ongoing response)
Together with business partners
(i) CSR/Sustainable Procurement Self-Assessment
Following the April 2022 revision of the Calbee Group Procurement Policy, we have expanded our survey targeting major suppliers, using the CSR/Sustainable Procurement Self-Assessment Tool provided by Global Compact Network Japan, supplemented with Calbee’s own specific questions. We are also advancing our collaboration with overseas business partners. We review the results and request business partners, who may not be making sufficient efforts to respect human rights, to make improvements and provide individual follow-up support.
(ii) Visits to palm oil plantations and mills
The Calbee Group uses approximately 6% of the palm oil imported into Japan as cooking oil in its production process. Palm oil, the most commonly used cooking oil in the world, is primarily produced in Indonesia and Malaysia. In the cultivation and production of oil palm trees from which palm oil is derived, concerns have been raised about deforestation caused by the development of plantations, the loss and degradation of biodiversity resulting from the conversion of new peatland forests, and human rights violations, including forced labor and child labor. To address this situation, we held a dialogue with our business partner and obtained an oil mill list (a list of company names and locations of oil mills), among other efforts. As in the previous year, we visited palm oil plantations and mills in FY2024 to obtain an accurate understanding of the local situation. We are committed to strengthening our engagement with business partners, gaining a deeper understanding of the situation, and working to address a wide range of social issues.
Harvest scene at a palm oil plantation during the FY2024 visit
(2) Establishment of a grievance mechanism and remedies
The Calbee Group has established internal and external helplines for domestic group companies and certain overseas affiliates to report legal non-compliance, company rule violations, and harassment. We also have the same measures for our domestic business partners. Any concerns reported or raised by whistleblowers to these helplines will be treated as “whistleblowing disclosure” as defined in the Whistleblower Protection Act, and they will be kept strictly confidential among the parties concerned. The whistleblowers will also be protected under the Act, ensuring they are not treated unfairly by the Company.
(i) Handling grievances raised by employees
The Calbee Group has the following mechanisms in place to identify and resolve any concerns about legal non-compliance, company rule violations, or harassment as soon as possible:
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・External helplines
External helplines provided for all domestic group companies and some overseas affiliates (Languages: Japanese, English, Chinese) -
・Compliance advisors
We have appointed compliance advisors at all Calbee business locations and all domestic group companies. -
・Internal helplines
We have internal helplines where employees can report or raise any concerns they may have by email or in writing.
(ii) Handling grievances raised by business partners
We have external helplines where our business partners in Japan can report or raise any concerns they may have. The privacy of whistleblowers obtained by the Calbee Group is strictly protected. We will promptly investigate any concerns that we receive to resolve them as soon as possible.
(3) Training and awareness-raising activities
In FY2024, we conducted e-learning sessions on business and human rights for 58 individuals, comprising management and members of the Project to Promote Respect for Human Rights. A wide range of topics was covered, from defining human rights and the concept behind business and human rights, to learning about the provision of reasonable accommodations and conflict minerals. After e-learning was conducted, feedback received included “We need to keep in mind that harassment can occur as a result of differences in one’s intentions and the other person’s thoughts,” and “We were reminded about the importance of supply chain management.”
The Project to Promote Respect for Human Rights distributed the Respect for Human Rights Newsletter periodically to employees in Japan. It included information about why companies must undergo initiatives for human rights, as well as the need for human rights DD and relevant initiatives.
3. Promotional framework related to respect for human rights
In FY2024, we launched the Project to Promote Respect for Human Rights, with Makoto Ehara, President & CEO, Representative Director, as project owner. We performed human rights DD, provided training for management, and published the Respect for Human Rights Newsletter for employees. Following the activities of this project, we established the Human Rights Committee in FY2025. Based on the Calbee Group Human Rights Policy, we will focus on human rights DD, the establishment of a grievance mechanism, stakeholder engagement, as well as training and awareness-raising activities related to respect for human rights.