The Suntory Group's 7 Sustainability Themes 03 Raw Ingredients

With regard to agricultural products and other raw ingredients that are essential to our products, we cooperate with business partners across the supply chain, identify social and environmental issues, and promote sustainability initiatives that enable us to grow together, thereby enriching our communities.

Social Awareness

Emphasizing sustainable procurement which consider the environment and society

It is predicted that the increase in average temperatures due to climate change will cause extreme weather events such as droughts and floods, which will have a significant impact on production activities, including fluctuations in production volume and shifts in suitable cultivation areas. Furthermore, behind production and procurement activities lie social issues that negatively affect the human rights of people working in the supply chain. In order to offer our customers high-quality products and services, at the Suntory Group we believe it is crucial to promote sustainability throughout our entire supply chain. This means we need to give due consideration to environment and society, as well as to safety and reliability.

Contributing to the SDGs

Our Approach

Working with business partners to promote activities throughout the supply chain

We established the Suntory Group Supplier Guidelines based on the Basic Policy on the Sustainable Supply Chain in June 2017 to contribute to the realization of a sustainable society while also accelerating sustainable procurement within the Suntory Group. These guidelines put in place specific compliance items required in each field from human rights and legal compliance to the environment for suppliers of Suntory in Japan and overseas to confirm the same ethical values are shared between the Suntory Group and its suppliers. We share our policy with major suppliers at the annual supplier gathering. In addition, We have newly established Global Procurement Promotion Division in April 2019 to promote sustainable procurement throughout the Group and have been conducting optimum and sustainable procurement across the globe.

The Suntory Group's Basic Policy on Supply Chain Sustainability (Established 2011)

In order to provide high-quality products and services safely and reliably based on our corporate philosophy of "To Create Harmony with People and Nature" and our Code of Business Ethics, the Suntory Group engages in fair business practices and, in collaboration with supply chain business partners, promotes procurement activities that take social responsibility into consideration, mindful of such issues as human rights, labor standards, and the environment.
We build good partnerships with our business partners and contribute toward realizing a truly affluent and sustainable society.

  1. 1.Legal Compliance and Respect for International Standards of Conduct

    We will promote fair and equitable procurement activities that comply with each country's laws and respect international standards of conduct.

  2. 2.Consideration for Human Rights, Labor, and Safety and Health

    We will promote supply chain initiatives that respect basic human rights and are mindful of labor conditions and safety and health.

  3. 3.Guaranteeing Quality and Safety

    Aligned with the Suntory Group Quality Policy, we will promote supply chain initiatives that seek to guarantee a high level of quality and safety based on the optimal standards for quality, cost, and supply.

  4. 4.Consideration for the Global Environment

    Aligned with the Basic Principles of Suntory Group's Environmental Policy, we will promote procurement activities mindful of the global environment.

  5. 5.Preservation of Information Security

    Confidential information regarding procurement dealings and personal information will be strictly controlled.

  6. 6.Coexistence with Society

    We will promote social contribution initiatives directed toward coexisting within society.

Our Initiatives

Conducting risk assessment using Sedex

Suntory Group conducts a screening based on The Suntory Group's Basic Policy on Supply Chain Sustainability for all new suppliers.
In addition, in June 2019 we joined Sedex, the largest supplier ethical information sharing platform for corporate ESG data in the world.
Through this platform we are engaging our suppliers and gathering key information (SAQ*) regarding social and environmental compliance.
As of April 2022, over 1000 manufacturing facilities of suppliers around the global are linked with the Suntory Group through Sedex, and we have started to conduct risk assessments. By leveraging the tools provided by Sedex, we have strengthened supplier management, enabling us to visualize and monitor the environmental and social risks faced by our suppliers.

  • Self Assessment Questionnaire

Initiatives in collaboration with green tea production area

In order to promote sustainable procurement of tea leaves used for green tea beverages, the Suntory Group has launched a long-term initiative in collaboration with tea production area. Collaborating with Kuma Regional Agricultural Cooperative (JA Kuma), we have succeeded in reducing GHG emissions by more than 30%*1 compared to the general method by introducing an environmentally friendly process in the tea leaf production process at JA Kuma. In addition to pursuing high-quality tea production, we hope to contribute to the continuation of tea production in the region and the training of successors in tea farming.

  • 1 Emissions per unit production weight in the production of green tea raw materials in the process from leaves to Aracha tea

Support activities for blackcurrant farmers

Based in the UK, Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland (SBF GB&I) produces and sells Ribena, a soft drink that is a favorite of many people in Europe. 90% of the blackcurrants grown in the U.K are used by this iconic juice drink brand. SBF GB&I started providing blackcurrant farmers with sustainable farming support in 2004. In addition to other efforts, we promote the employment of cultivation experts (agronomists) who provide advice directly to farmers as well as research on blackcurrants resistant to climate change. Furthermore, we have established a biodiversity roadmap tailored to each farm as well as the individual habitats around it, and are promoting ecosystem conservation activities for rivers and wetlands.