Nichirei

No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.

No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Sustainable development strategy
As part of its sustainability strategy, Nichirei has identified five focus areas with objectives covering topics related to nutrition, social inclusion and the environment. The company has an opportunity to set targets under these objectives and to how it identifies and prioritises the topics where it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development
Nichirei demonstrates that ultimate responsibility for its sustainability strategy lies with the board of directors, as well as that it has a CSR department in place to facilitate its effective implementation. Moreover, Nichirei discloses that remuneration for the board of directors and executives is linked to sustainability performance. However, the company does not demonstrate that this includes performance incentives linked to all dimensions of the benchmark – environment, nutrition and social inclusion dimensions.

Stakeholder engagement
Nichirei provides an overview of stakeholders, issues raised with them as well as the method and frequency of engagement. However, the company can improve disclosure on how it integrates the outcomes of its stakeholder engagement activities into its sustainability strategy.

Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions
Nichirei has set a 2030 target to reduce scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Japan by 30% against a 2016 baseline and reports progress. While the company discloses some evidence of activities to reduce and measure scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions overseas, it does not disclose a target for its overseas activities nor report on reductions.

Protein diversification
While Nichirei discloses that it is investing in DAIZ Inc., a company researching soy-based alternative proteins, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets to increase the production or consumption of alternative proteins.

Food loss and waste
While the company is addressing food loss and waste in its own operations and has activities to reduce waste at production stage, it does not disclose quantitative data to demonstrate reductions in food loss and waste volumes. To strengthen its commitment, Nichirei has an opportunity to set targets to reduce food loss and waste across its own operations and supply chain and report on progress against them.

Plastic use and packaging waste
Nichirei demonstrates that it is reducing its plastic use and reports it achieved a 200-ton reduction by improving its packaging. However, the company has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by setting targets to reduce plastic use and transition to more sustainable forms of packaging and reporting on progress against them.

Animal welfare
The company does not disclose that it is addressing key animal and aquatic welfare issues for its relevant key species in its own operations and supply chain. It has an opportunity to disclose a commitment that addresses key issues for animal and aquatic welfare across its relevant species, geographies and products.

Antibiotics use and growth-promoting substances
While Nichirei discloses that its product offerings include antibiotic-free chicken, it does not disclose a commitment to reduce or phase out the prophylactic use of antibiotics and growth promoting substances across all its species, geographies and products.

Availability of healthy foods
While Nichirei provides examples of increasing omega-3 and 6 fatty acids in its products, it does not demonstrate reducing salt, saturated fat or other unhealthy properties in its products.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
Nichirei does not disclose a commitment or evidence of activities to improve the accessibility and affordability of healthy foods for vulnerable groups.

Clear and transparent labelling
While the company discloses a commitment of compliance with national regulations regarding labelling and commits to providing nutritional information on key relevant nutrients through back-of-pack labels, it has an opportunity to make nutritional information more visible to consumers through the adoption of front-of-pack labels or any other consumer-facing nutrition label.

Workforce nutrition
While the company demonstrates that it offers health examinations and health improvement plans, it is not clear that these include a focus on workforce nutrition which prioritises making healthy foods the standard in the workplace.

Food safety
While the company discloses compliance with national regulations and publishes a list of food safety certifications, it has an opportunity to strengthen its commitment by disclosing the percentage of its own operations that is certified to a food safety scheme recognised by the Global Food Safety Initiative.

Child labour
While the company commits to prohibiting child labour in its own operations and requires its suppliers to adhere to the same standards, it has an opportunity to disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to have an age-verification system in place.

Forced labour
While Nichirei commits to prohibiting forced labour in its own operations, the company does not disclose a policy requiring its suppliers to adhere to the same standard. In addition, Nichirei has an opportunity to disclose a requirement that prohibits its suppliers from retaining workers’ personal documents and restricting workers’ freedom of movement.

Living wage
While the Nichirei states that wages must be sufficient to satisfy the basic needs of employees with some discretionary income, it does not disclose that it pays its workers a living wage or requires its suppliers to do the same. Neither has it set targets to do so in the future.

Farmer and fisher productivity and resilience
Nichirei does not disclose a commitment or examples of activities to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers, fishers and/or small-scale producers in its supply chain.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
Nichirei does not disclose that it specifically recognises the health and safety risks to vulnerable groups, such as migrant and temporary labourers, women, and young farmers.

Nichirei commits to respect human rights and the ILO core labour rights in its operations, and provides a policy statement that expects its suppliers to respect ILO core labour rights. The company provides grievance mechanisms for workers, although no mechanism accessible to third parties was found. Moreover, no evidence of a human rights due diligence process or engagement with affected and potentially affected stakeholders was found.

Nichirei commits to respecting the health and safety of workers and expects its suppliers to do the same, but lacks disclosure on how it monitors the health and safety performance of its suppliers. In addition, Nichirei lacks disclosure on some key metrics, such as the number and rate of high-consequence injuries in the workplace. There is an opportunity for Nichirei to strengthen its commitments on living wage and working hours, and to increase disclosure on gender equality and workforce diversity. Moreover, no publicly available documents on collective bargaining agreements were found in the public domain.

Nichirei commits to protect personal data and has a privacy statement on its uses. The company prohibits bribery and corruption in its operations, but does not demonstrate it includes anti-bribery and -corruption clauses in its contracts with business relationships. In addition, its whistle-blower mechanisms is not accessible for external parties. No global tax strategy nor policies on lobbying and political engagement were found in the public domain and the company does not publicly report on tax and lobbying expenditures.