CEO Message

At Calbee, our corporate philosophy is to harness nature’s gifts to create great-tasting and fun experiences, all while promoting healthier lifestyles. With our long-term goal of sustaining growth beyond our 100th anniversary, we are focused on strengthening our business foundation and advancing sustainability management to create lasting value.

In recent years, our operating environment has become increasingly uncertain, requiring us to address a wide range of global social issues. Potatoes, the main ingredient of potato chips, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We also face challenges such as the declining number of contract growers, many of whom are also aging. The impact of these issues may become even more pronounced in the future. To address these risks, we are strengthening our support for our contract growers through initiatives such as developing new potato varieties that are more resistant to diseases, pests, and environmental changes, diversifying our production areas, and operating a contractor business that helps ease cultivation and harvesting.

At the same time, consumer awareness is shifting, with more people seeking products made from ingredients that respect human rights and protect biodiversity. In response, the Calbee Group uses palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), produced with due consideration for human rights and the environment, at all our factories in Japan. This has enabled us to achieve our 2030 target of using 100% certified palm oil in Japan ahead of schedule. Furthermore, the Setouchi Hiroshima Factory, which commenced operations in January 2025, is designed with sustainability in mind. It uses renewable energy and is equipped with a system that converts potato waste into energy, helping to reduce our environmental footprint.

To further advance sustainability management, we have integrated our disclosures in line with the recommendations of the Taskforce on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD), which we have been implementing, and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD), a biodiversity-related initiative. By placing the pursuit of a sustainable society at the core of our management approach, we will continue to work with our stakeholders to address key material issues that impact our business.

We sincerely thank our stakeholders for their trust and continued support.