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ZEN-NOH

ZEN-NOH, National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations, is a federation of agricultural cooperatives. ZEN-NOH works with 945 cooperatives unions and has established a global network of 100 business locations in 10 countries. ZEN-NOH is responsible for the marketing and supply business of the JA (Japanese Agricultural Cooperatives) Group, including the distribution of agricultural products and inputs including grains, fruits and vegetables, animal feed, fertilizer and agricultural machinery. In addition to its leading domestic market position, the cooperative also has grain activities in the US and Brazil in addition to multiple joint ventures globally.

Summary

ZEN-NOH ranks 279th in the Food and Agriculture Benchmark. Overall, the company does not provide sufficient sustainability disclosure in English. As a result, it sits in the bottom of the ranking. While it provides evidence to tackle some key issues, the company lags in all measurement areas. Unlike most of its competitors, the company lacks a solid sustainability strategy and fails to tackle many relevant environment issues which notably includes greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions or water use targets. Similarly, there is little evidence of commitments in both nutrition and social inclusion. There is a strong opportunity for ZEN-NOH to enhance its reporting as well as develop time-bound targets and activities on its sustainability strategy across all areas of the benchmark.

Ranking position: #279/350
Total score: 5.5/100

Measurement area	Score	Rank (0-350)
Governance and strategy	#1 0.8 /10	#248
Environment	#1 2.0 /30	#258
Nutrition	#1 1.3 /30	#225
Social inclusion	#1 1.3 /30	#266

Segment	Rank
Agricultural inputs	#47
Agricultural products and commodities	#117
Animal proteins	#68
Food and beverage manufacturers/processors	#186

Segment ranking summary

ZEN-NOH sits at the bottom of the ranking in all its segments. Among companies trading agricultural input as well as agricultural products and commodities, it performs respectively 47th out of 49 and 117th out of 117. Among animal proteins producers and food and beverage processors, it ranks respectively 68 out of 75 and 186th out of 203. In general, the company lacks transparency compared to its peers and lags in all measurement areas. Furthermore, unlike most of its peers, it does not disclose a decent sustainability strategy nor reports on key environmental issues.

Governance and strategy : No leading practices were identified for the company in the governance and strategy  measurement area.
Environment : No leading practices were identified for the company in the environment measurement area.
Nutrition : No leading practices were identified for the company in the nutrition measurement area.
Social inclusion : No leading practices were identified for the company in the social inclusion measurement area.

Governance and strategy 

Sustainable development strategy
While the company has identified the relevant SDG goals for its operations and set some commitments related to these goals, it has an opportunity to disclose a sustainable development strategy and how it identifies and prioritises the topics where it has the most impact.

Governance and accountability for sustainable development strategy
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Stakeholder engagement
While ZEN-NOH states it implements support activities for agricultural producers, the company does not disclose more information on stakeholder engagement activities, including how it selects the stakeholders, nor an overview of the topics discussed or their outcomes.

Environment 

Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions
While ZEN-NOH states it aims to reduce its CO2 emissions, the company does not disclose quantitative evidence to demonstrate that it is reducing its scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG emissions.

Protection of natural terrestrial ecosystems
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Protein diversification
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Fertiliser and pesticide use
The company reports that its Fertilizers Research Section is working on the development of, low-cost technologies for farmers, including patents of fertilization method utilizing irrigation water flow in paddy filed and of nursery bed soil for rice plants. However, it does not disclose a time-bound target to optimise use of fertiliser and pesticides nor provide quantitative evidence of optimising the use of fertiliser and pesticides. There is an opportunity for ZEN-NOH to increase its disclosure on the topic.

Food loss and waste
While the company states recycling food waste and reducing food loss as two of its goals, it has an opportunity to disclose a commitment by setting targets to reduce food loss and waste across its own operations and supply chain and reporting against these targets. It could also disclosing quantitative data to demonstrate that it is reducing food loss and waste in its own operations and supply chain.

Animal welfare
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Nutrition 

Availability of healthy foods
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Accessibility and affordability of healthy foods
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Clear and transparent labelling
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Responsible marketing
The 2021 Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluates corporate disclosures in English over the 2019-2020 research period and made available until May 2021. No relevant disclosure was found for this company. Please refer to the benchmark findings for more information about the research.

Food safety
While the company discloses evidence that some sites of its own operations are certified to a GFSI-recognised food safety scheme, it does not demonstrate that all its own operations are certified to a GFSI-recognised food safety scheme/certification programme or other widely recognised (industry-specific) certification.

Social inclusion 

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

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.

Farmer productivity and resilience
The company states it supports agricultural producers by establishing collaborative councils and is aiming to realize cross-regional labour support measures in Japan. It also provides trainings on agricultural equipment as well as feed and livestock. However, there is an opportunity for ZEN-NOH to enhance its reporting by disclosing the impact of its activities supporting farmers’ productivity and resilience.

Land rights
The company does not commit to recognising and respecting the legitimate tenure rights related to the ownership and use of land of local communities.

Respect human rights: The Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluated corporate policies and reporting publicly disclosed in English and available during the February – May 2021 research period or supplied by the company during the April – May 2021 data collection phase. No relevant disclosure was found or submitted for this company.
Provide and promote decent work: The Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluated corporate policies and reporting publicly disclosed in English and available during the February – May 2021 research period or supplied by the company during the April – May 2021 data collection phase. No relevant disclosure was found or submitted for this company.
Act ethically: The Food and Agriculture Benchmark only evaluated corporate policies and reporting publicly disclosed in English and available during the February – May 2021 research period or supplied by the company during the April – May 2021 data collection phase. No relevant disclosure was found or submitted for this company.

More about the company

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Food and agriculture revenue USD: 42,164,137,200
Group revenue USD: 43,025,107,800
Onwnership structure: Cooperative
Number of employees: 7,446
Website: https://www.zennoh.or.jp

This company is part of the SDG2000, the 2.000 most influential companies

See company profile

ZEN-NOH

Segment ranking summary

Leading practices

Governance and strategy

Environment

Nutrition

Social inclusion

Risks and opportunities

Governance and strategy

Environment

Nutrition

Social inclusion

Core social indicators

Respect human rights

Provide and promote decent work

Act ethically

More about the company

This company is part of the SDG2000, the 2.000 most influential companies