Basic Approach
The Maruha Nichiro Group engages in the stable procurement of marine resources from Japan and around the world.
We also strive to build a safe and secure supply chain for livestock meat products and agricultural products.
We recognize that in order to achieve stable and sustainable management into the future, we must cooperate with our business partners and consider social dimensions such as environmental problems, human rights, and occupational safety within our supply chain. Accordingly, we are working to build a CSR-oriented supply chain.
Establishment of Maruha Nichiro Group Basic Procurement Policy / Supplier Guidelines
In FY2017, we established the Maruha Nichiro Group Basic Procurement Policy and Maruha Nichiro Group Supplier Guidelines following the Group Code of Conduct and the approaches of ISO 26000, an international standard for social responsibility, and the Ten Principles of the United Nations Global Compact.
We are also committed to fair competition and anti-corruption in overseas markets through our Declaration of Anti-corruption.
In July 2022, we revised the Supplier Guidelines to the second edition, adding a new requirement on matters concerning the elimination of IUU fishing and requesting suppliers to “confirm that there is no involvement in IUU fishing in the marine products they procure through thorough traceability.”
We make these policies/guidelines known to our business partners and monitor their compliance on a regular basis, and have prepared a guideline commentary in conjunction with the revision to the second edition.
We are promoting activities to strengthen our management system, such as encouraging improvement activities based on the explanatory notes, and to construct a supply chain that will carry out honest business activities together with our business partners.
Code of Conduct (PDF: 43 KB/1 page)
Basic Procurement Policy (PDF: 89 KB/1 page)
Maruha Nichiro Group Suppliers Guidelines, Second Edition (issued July 2022) (PDF: 254 KB/8 pages)
Anti-corruption Declaration (PDF: 87 KB/1 page)
Maruha Nichiro Group Policy on Animal Welfare
Management Structure
The Maruha Nichiro Group has various businesses and its supply chain spans a wide range of fields. Suppliers of food raw materials, products, and materials through our business activities are selected based on our Basic Procurement Policy, and each business unit is responsible for implementing CSR procurement through communication with suppliers based on our Supplier Guidelines. In addition, we consider the response to IUU fishing and the depletion of marine resources to be an important issue that the Maruha Group must actively address, and in September 2024, we newly formulated and began operating a procurement policy specifically for marine products (Maruha Nichiro Group Marine Products Procurement Policy). In addition to the existing basic procurement policy, we will work to create environmental and social value at a higher level.
Progress on materiality and KPI achievement
| Materiality | KGI (Ideal state in 2030) | Achievement taget（KPI) | FY2022 results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Target value | Target year | Results of progress and comments | Self-evaluation | ||
| Development of sustainable supply chain | Working with suppliers to build a sustainable procurement network | Rate of agreement with supplier guidelines and rate of improvement in key items (Overall G) | 100% | 2030 | Rate of coverage of suppliers for the Supplier Survey System: 64% | ★★☆☆☆ |
Message from Representative
Yusuke Sato
Corporate Planning Department
Sustainability Group
Group Director
The Maruha Nichiro Group has been engaged in various initiatives aimed at promoting respect for human rights, including formulating a human rights policy in FY2019, conducting human rights and labor practices surveys of suppliers in certain fields since FY2020, and formulating the Maruha Nichiro Group Guidelines on the Employment of Foreign Technical Intern Trainees and Specified Skilled Workers in FY2022. However, we have not been able to carry out comprehensive risk identification and analysis of all risks of human rights violations along the value chain.
Therefore, in FY2023, we conducted human rights training for all Group employees in Japan and compiled the risks of human rights violations identified for each organization into a human rights risk map. Based on the results of this analysis, we will work with suppliers and other stakeholders going forward to perform human rights due diligence aimed at ensuring zero human rights violations along the value chain.
Main Initiatives in FY2023
Monitoring of Suppliers
Introduction of Supplier Survey System and Revision of Guidelines
In FY2022, Maruha Nichiro Corporation newly introduced and began operating the Maruha Nichiro Supplier Survey System. By systemizing supplier surveys and analyses, both the Company and our suppliers are able to accumulate data and visualize issues. In addition, we partially revised the Group Procurement Policy and Supplier Guidelines issued in 2017 to clarify items on the abolition of IUU fishing, environmental considerations, and cooperation requests to secondary suppliers, and a handbook of the guidelines was also created. We will continue working to strengthen our management structure by encouraging suppliers to follow these guidelines and urging them to make improvements based on the handbook.
Confirmed Status of Compliance with Supplier Guidelines
In FY2022, using the new Supplier Survey System, we surveyed 1,000 of Maruha Nichiro Corporation’s 1,996 suppliers to confirm the status of their compliance with the revised Supplier Guidelines (the results are shown below).
In FY2023, we focused on increasing the registration rate of suppliers to the system, but the registration rate remained at 64.0%. We will also ask all suppliers, including packaging suppliers, to cooperate in making improvements. We will also work to expand the scope of registration to all suppliers, including packaging material suppliers, and to expand the system within the group.
With the aim of building a sustainable supply chain, we have established a working group on purchasing management with the Quality Assurance Department, Production Management Department, and Corporate Planning Department, and are proceeding with cooperative initiatives. The Group’s business is supported by numerous suppliers, and we believe that evaluating them from ESG perspectives as well as on QCD aspects (quality, cost, delivery) will contribute to a more robust supply chain. We will organize our internal operational regulations and aim to create mechanisms to put sustainable procurement into practice.
KPI Progress Chart
| KPI | FY2022 | FY2023 |
|---|---|---|
| System coverage in 2024 (MN) | 1,000 companies/1,996 companies (50.1%) | 1,399 companies/2,186 companies (64.0%) |
| 100% rate of agreement with supplier guidelines and rate of improvement in key items in 2030 (Overall G) | ー | ー |
| Rate of agreement with supplier guidelines in 2030 (MN) | 927 companies/1,996 companies (46.4%) | 929 companies/2,186 companies (42.5%) |
| Rate of improvement in key items of the supplier guidelines in 2030 (MN) | ー | ー |
| Rate of agreement with supplier guidelines in 2030 (Overall G) | ー | ー |
| Rate of improvement in key items of the supplier guidelines in 2030 (Overall G) | ー | ー |
Educating Suppliers through “Quality Assurance Meetings” for Partner Factories
At Maruha Nichiro Corporation, we hold “managers' meetings on quality assurance at subcontract factories” for management executives of major contract manufacturers in Japan who cooperate with us in the production of our products, with the aim of improving the quality assurance level by strengthening cooperation with our supply chain.
In FY2021, in addition to receiving reports on quality-related initiatives and the status of complaints and incidents, Maruha Nichiro Corporation held a presentation led by a representative from the Corporate Planning Department on CSR procurement and informed business partners of the "Basic Policies of Procurement" and "Supplier Guidelines," and requested suppliers' understanding of the Maruha Nichiro Group's policies/guidelines and their cooperation in building a CSR-conscious supply chain together.
We intend to continue holding this meeting in the future as an opportunity to educate and share information with partner factories, as well as gain their understanding of the Action Plan and strive for greater collaboration in the supply chain.
