Megmilk Snow Brand

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
While the company has set time-bound targets for topics within the Food and Agriculture Benchmark’s three dimensions of environment, nutrition and social inclusion, it has an opportunity to disclose and how it identifies and prioritises the topics where it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development strategy
The company states its CSR Committee comprises the president and all full-time directors. However, there is an opportunity for Megmilk Snow Brand to enhance its governance and accountability mechanisms by linking its reward system to sustainability performance across environment, nutrition and social inclusion topics. The company could also disclose its executives’ and highest governance body remuneration policy regarding these topics.

Stakeholder engagement
The company does not disclose stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes.

Food loss and waste
The company discloses a target to raise its food waste recycling rate to 95% or more by fiscal 2019 and reports against it. However, there is room for Megmilk Snow Brand to disclose a new target or update its historic target.

Protection of natural terrestrial ecosystems
The company discloses a time-bound target to procure 100% certified palm oil by fiscal 2026 and reports it has currently achieved 10%. It also states that it produces cocoa-flavoured products but discloses no relevant information related to its sourcing practices. There is room for Megmilk Snow Brand to improve by increasing its disclosure on the topic.

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
The company has a time-bound target to reduce CO2 emissions by 30% from the fiscal 2013 level by fiscal 2030 and reports a 18.8% reduction since the baseline year, as well as continued reductions in the 2018-20 period. However, there is an opportunity for Megmilk Snow Brand to demonstrate that its target is 1.5 degrees aligned. Furthermore, the company has not disclosed a scope 3 emissions target, but does disclose data suggesting an increase in emissions between 2018-19. The company could increase its reporting on its scope 3 emissions.

Animal welfare
While the company discloses that it addresses ethical considerations for animal experiments, its commitment does not cover key animal and aquatic welfare issues for its relevant key species in its own operations and supply chain. Megmilk Snow Brand has an opportunity to disclose a commitment that addresses key issues for animal and aquatic welfare across its relevant species, geographies and products.

Antibiotic use and growth promoting substances
The company does not disclose that it is reducing or prohibiting the prophylactic use of antibiotics and growth-promoting substances for aquatic and farm animals relevant to the company. It has an opportunity to disclose a commitment on antibiotics which addresses the topic across its relevant species, geographies and products.

Protein diversification
The company does not disclose that it is diversifying its protein portfolio, for instance, by increasing the proportion of plant-based proteins and other alternatives such as plant-based dairy options.

Workforce nutrition
While the company discloses a programme to improve workforce nutrition through the provision of healthy foods at work, it has an opportunity to develop this programme further to ensure nutrition education, nutrition-focused health checks and breastfeeding support throughout its operations.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy food
The company does not disclose a commitment to address food insecurity by improving the accessibility and affordability of healthy and nutritious foods.

Availability of healthy food
The company does not provide evidence of improving the nutritional quality of its products and of proportionally increasing the sales of healthy and nutritious foods.

Food safety
The company reports that 69% of its facilities are certified under an international food safety scheme  recognized by GFSI. As such, it does not demonstrate that all its own operations are certified to a GFSI-recognised food safety scheme.

Farmer productivity and resilience
While the company has a commitment to support the resilience, productivity and access to markets for farmers, it has an opportunity to disclose evidence of related activities.

Child labour
The company does not disclose a commitment to prohibit child labour in its own operations and supply chain.

Forced labour
The company does not disclose a commitment to prohibit forced labour in its own operations and supply chain.

Health and safety of vulnerable groups
The company 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.

While Megmilk Snow Brand commits to respecting human rights through its code of conduct, it lacks disclosure on all other indicators related to respecting human rights. Within its own operations, this relates to identifying, assessing, and taking action to address its human rights salient risks, identifying and engaging with stakeholders whose human rights are potentially or actually impacted, and having a grievance mechanism. Furthermore, it does not expect the same in relation to its business relationships.

While the company does not publicly commit to respecting gender equality and women’s empowerment, it does disclose a target to increase the share of management positions held by women by 10% by 2025. However, it lacks disclosure on all other indicators by not publicly committing to respect the health and safety of workers, pay a living wage or support practices related to freedom of association and collective bargaining. Similarly, it does not expect the same of its business relationships.

The company publicly commits to protecting personal data but does not accompany this with a privacy statement on the use of personal data. It also does not disclose a global tax strategy, including tax payments for all its tax jurisdictions, or an approach towards lobbying and political engagement, including lobbying expenditures. Furthermore, the company does not have a policy prohibiting bribery and corruption or a grievance mechanism to report related issues.