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  • Overall approach
    4/10
    • Overarching commitment on deforestation
      0/4
      Overall commitment
      Commodity-specific commitment - commitment that does not apply to all of the commodities the company is exposed to
      0/4
      Which commodities does the commodity-specific commitment apply to?: Palm oil; Soy

      Do they have a commitment for other non-Forest 500 commodities, if so which?: NA
      "We have raised our ambitions within several key areas: • By 2025, our palm oil and soy supply chains shall be 100 percent traceable and verified free from deforestation and conversion."
    • Signatory to an initiative tackling deforestation
      1/1
      Signatory
      Yes
      1/1
      Which initiatives?: UN Global Compact
      "As we now look to 2021, we have a unique opportunity to build back better. As signatories of the UN Global Compact, as well as the UN Global Compact’s Statement for Renewed Global Cooperation launched in 2020, we at AAK are committed to playing our part to steer our world onto a more equitable, inclusive and sustainable path."
    • Awareness of the value of forests
      1/1
      Awareness
      Yes
      1/1
      "Commitments and ambitions. Protecting biodiversity and ecosystems, reducing environmental impact [...] 100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm and soy supply chains by 2025"
    • Deforestation as a business risk
      1/1
      Business risk
      Yes
      1/1
      What revenue comes from industries relevant to each forest risk commodity?: NA

      What proportion of revenue that comes from relevant industries is exposed to each forest risk commodity?: NA

      Type of risk if Other. Also add any relevant details:

      What poportion of a company’s annual revenue depends on each forest risk commodity?: NA

      What type of risk is recognised?: Operational; Reputational
      "We are continuously improving the resilience of the company with the future in mind. The value chain of edible oils and fats is connected to risk related to land use, increasing population, decarbonization, deforestation, land conflict, human rights abuses, and now, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. [...] Sustainable and responsible sourcing Most often, the requested credentials relate to our sustainable sourcing practices for raw materials. Many of our customers want to mitigate potential risks to their brand from their supply chain and are asking us to share traceability details, for example whether our palm is verified deforestation-free"
    • High-level management of deforestion
      1/1
      High-level management
      Yes
      1/1
      Which commodities does it apply to?: Palm oil; Soy

      How often does the committee or board meet to assess company's progress on addressing deforestation-related issues?: 'regularly'
      "AAK's Board of Directors has the overall responsibility for the company’s sustainability progress and performance. This responsibility also includes risk assessments in relation to different sustainability areas and especially with regards to climate change risks and diversity. The Board of Directors is informed regularly on sustainability and climate-related performance and AAK’s progress against set objectives and targets, risks and opportunities. The Board of Directors also approves the Sustainability Report [...] Monthly Executive Committee meetings are held where progress and necessary actions are reviewed, including AAK’s sustainability ambitions. The Chief Strategy & Sustainability Officer is a member of the Executive Committee and reports to the Board on sustainability matters. [...] The Better Sourcing commitment and ambitions are guided by the AAK Group Code of Conduct, the Palm oil Policy and the AAK Code of Conduct for Suppliers of Raw Materials, risk assessments, supplier assessment tools, dashboards and procedures for due diligence."
    • Executive compensation linked to deforestation
    • Target to reduce emissions from land-use change
      0/1
    • Reporting on emissions from land-use change
      0/1
    • Disclosure of conservation activity
    • Disclosure of reforestation activity
      Reforestation disclosure
      Yes
      0/0
      How many hectares of reforestation or restoration are being or have been conducted or facilitated by the company?: 38.000 trees
      "By 2030, combat desertification, restore degraded land and soil, including land affected by desertification, drought and floods, and strive to achieve a land degradation-neutral world. [...] Through our tree planting partnerships we are contributing to the reforestation of shea parklands and agroforestry system and help fight desertification in the area. [...] During the 2019/2020 season, we started to invest in tree planting and tree planting trainings in the shea belt. Since season 2020/2021, we are supporting the “Action for Shea Parkland Management” driven by the Global Shea Alliance. So far, we have planted more than 38,000 trees and we have set the ambition to plant 150,000 trees until the end of season 2024/2025."
    • Target to reduce emissions in scope 1/2
      Reduce emissions
      Yes
      0/0
      Is this target aligned with/verified by SBTi?: Yes

      What is the target date for the company to achieve their climate target?: 2030

      Type of climate target: Other or unclear
      "Key ambitions 20303) Reduce absolute scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions with 50% [...] Reduce absolute scope 3 GHG in line with our SBT commitment"
  • Commodity score
    33/90
    • Palm oil
      47/90
      • Commitment Strength
        16/17
        • Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
          9/9.5
          • Commitment details
            Zero-gross conversion
            6/6
            Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
            Zero-gross conversion
            6/6
            Which certification schemes are used?: RSPO

            When was this commitment set?: NA
            "Commitments and ambitions:100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm [...] supply chains by 2025"
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "Commitments and ambitions:100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm [...] supply chains by 2025"
          • Target date
            2025
            0.8/1
            Target date
            2025
            0.8/1
            What actions or steps are identified for time-bound implementation?: 100% deforestation and conversion free
            "Commitments and ambitions:100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm [...] supply chains by 2025"
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.5
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          7/7.5
          • Commitment details
            Traces to Point of production
            4/4
            Commitment to a traceable supply chain
            Traces to Point of production
            4/4
            When was this commitment set?: NA
            "For better sourcing of palm, our 2025 ambitions are:100 percent traceability to plantation [...] Key achievements 2021 Increased palm traceability to plantation to 81 percent, representing an increase of 16 percent compared to 2020"
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "For better sourcing of palm, our 2025 ambitions are:100 percent traceability to plantation [...] Key achievements 2021 Increased palm traceability to plantation to 81 percent, representing an increase of 16 percent compared to 2020"
          • Target date
            2025
            0.8/1
            Target date
            2025
            0.8/1
            What actions or steps are identified for time-bound implementation?: 100% traceability to plantation by 2025
            "For better sourcing of palm, our 2025 ambitions are:100 percent traceability to plantation [...] Key achievements 2021 Increased palm traceability to plantation to 81 percent, representing an increase of 16 percent compared to 2020"
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.5
      • Associated Human Rights Abuses
        7/17
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: all external suppliers and their subcontractors

          Details of commitment: Discrimination; Forced labour; Child labour; Freedom of association

          Other workers' rights commitments: Only work legal working hours; Guaranteed safe and healthy workspaces; Free from abusive practices/undue disciplinary procedures
          "AAK requires all external suppliers and their subcontractors to comply with this Code. The Code applies to all actors in the supply chain back to the origin of the raw material.[...] Freedom of association [...] Forced labour [...] Child labour [...] Discrimination [...] Suppliers shall comply with all applicable national and legal standards on working hours and overtime [...] Suppliers shall offer a safe working environment for all employees. Adequate health and safety procedures and the use of relevant protective equipment shall be implemented. [...] Suppliers shall protect employees in the working place against physical, verbal, sexual or psychological harassment, abuse or threats"
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          Yes
          2/2
          Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          Yes
          2/2
          How many smallholders do they support, and what percentage does this represent in terms of their sourcing from smallholders?: NA

          What is the nature of that support?: Technical assistance/support; Education and training, Economic
          [Translation] "In AAK's supply chains, small farmers, in particular female farmers, have an important role:• About 40% of the global production of palm oil produced by smallholder farmers in Indonesia and Malaysia [...] One of our priorities with regards to sustainability is to improve the livelihoods and welfare of smallholders, [...] we invest in training programs and cooperate with non-governmental organizations, industry colleagues and suppliers in many different regions, and in local villages through our agricultural advisors." [...] "2020 status: 3,100 smallholders engaged "
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          No commitment
          0/2
        • Commitment to remediation
          No
          0/1
        • Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes, the company commits to test for FPIC prior to acquiring new interests, developments, or expansions
          2/3
          Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes, the company commits to test for FPIC prior to acquiring new interests, developments, or expansions
          2/3
          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: all external suppliers and their subcontractors
          "Land rights and tenure - AAK will only source raw materials from growers with the necessary land rights, and where legal or customary rights of others are not adversely affected. In particular, our requirement is that new development only takes place with the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) or equivalent of other land rights holders such as local communities. [...] Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) FPIC is a principle requiring that indigenous and local communities have the right to give or withhold their consent to proposed projects that may affect the lands to which they hold legal title, or they customarily own, occupy or otherwise use"
        • Commitment to respect customary rights to land, resources, and territory
          No
          0/3
        • Zero-tolerance approach to violence and threats
          No
          0/3
      • Implementation and Reporting
        24/56
        • Reporting proportion of compliant volumes
          0/0
        • Reporting is independently verified
          Yes, using a third-party verification scheme or certification scheme
          2/2
          Reporting is independently verified
          Yes, using a third-party verification scheme or certification scheme
          2/2
          What percent of the company's supply volume is verified using company verification systems?: NA

          For what percent of the company's supply volume is third-party verification of performance relative to commitments conducted?: 81%

          Which tools, approaches, third-party verification, including certification, schemes are used?: Earthqualizer and Satelligence

          Is the performance of compliance of some suppliers, sources, or origins not verified, and if so why not?: NA

          What methods are used for verification?: Earthqualizer and Satelligence

          Which processes or groups does the company use for third party verification?: Earthqualizer and Satelligence
          "Commitments and ambitions:100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm [...] supply chains by 2025" [...] "In 2021, AAK achieved 67 percent of VDF palm [...] 96 percent of our suppliers have signed the AAK Group Policy Sustainable Palm Oil [...] RSPO-certified palm increased to 39 percent, representing an increase by 23 percent since 2019. In 2021, there was a 1 percent increase in the demand for RSPOcertified volumes, with the ambition to reach 2 percent by 2022. To increase the demand for certified sustainable palm, we include sales of RSPO-certified in our ambition of percent of revenue connected to the SDGs."
        • Suppliers aligned with deforestation commitments across supply chain
          Yes, encouraged
          0/3
          Suppliers aligned with deforestation commitments across supply chain
          Yes, encouraged
          0/3
          "We expect our suppliers: [...] To be or become member of the RSPO " [...] "Driving industry change For companies to work effectively to drive change in the palm oil production base, monitoring and reporting of progress in the production base is essential. The RSPO certified volumes we purchase have the best guarantee available of meeting NDPE commitments, but to date there has been no way of measuring compliance in non-certified volumes. In complex global supply chains, achieving transparency on progress by companies several tiers away can be a challenge. The No Deforestation No Peat and No exploitation Implementation Reporting Framework (NDPE IRF) is a monitoring and reporting tool developed by sustainability practitioners and major brands and processors of palm oil, facilitated by Proforest. It is a shared industry approach to reporting on progress in meeting NDPE commitments, based on a stepwise approach towards ensuring full compliance. AAK has supported the development of the NDPE IRF since its inception in 2018, when we worked with one of our suppliers to be among the first to test the approach to monitoring and reporting on NDPE progress in the palm oil production base, with results presented at the RSPO Round Table in Kota Kinabalu in 2018. Since then, the IRF has become an accepted industry approach to monitoring and reporting and is being rolled out among refineries in 2020."
        • Deforestation cut off date
          Yes, for all sourcing regions/operations
          2/2
          Deforestation cut off date
          Yes, for all sourcing regions/operations
          2/2
          What cut-off date is specified?: 2015
          "the methodology uses the mill list and publicly available information on mills and mill groups that have implemented methods to ensure and verify that their volumes are compliant with No-deforestation policies. This includes RSPO certification and concession monitoring, where concession boundaries linked to a deforestation monitoring platform showed no clearance since the 2015 cut-off date."
        • Collaborative actions
          Yes
          2/2
          Collaborative actions
          Yes
          2/2
          What is the nature of that participation?: Attending & contributing to meetings; Providing support/ advice/ experience/ expertise; Providing technical capacity

          What initiatives does the company participate in?: Solidaridad, partnership with Musim Mas and Nestlé in Aceh, Indonesia
          "We also support a unique project in Mexico together with Solidaridad, the objective of which is to develop the sustainability of three palm oil social enterprise cooperatives, with the ultimate ambition of achieving RSPO certification. In 2021, we announced a partnership with Musim Mas and Nestlé to support smallholders in Aceh, Indonesia, with the objective of increased yields and earnings for the smallholders, reducing the incentive to encroach into protected areas as a way of increasing their income."
        • Jurisdictional approach focused on sustainable land use
          Yes
          2/2
          Jurisdictional approach focused on sustainable land use
          Yes
          2/2
          How many jurisdictional approaches focused on land use is the company currently involved in?: 1

          How is the company engaged within the jurisdictional approach?: not specified

          Does the company report on the type of engagement they are conducting in the context of the jurisdictional approach (e.g. disbursed financial support, in-kind support, capacity, preferential sourcing)?: NA

          What are the names, locations, timelines and other partners involved in the jurisdictional approaches?: Forever Sabah , Sabah state

          What percentage of the company's non-DCF supply chain are sourced from the landscape where the jurisdictional approach is adopted?: NA

          What methodology was used to identify the jurisdictions of focus?: not specified
          "Via our collaboration with Forever Sabah, AAK continues to support the jurisdictional certification approach in the Malaysian state of Sabah, where only 20 percent of the independent smallholders hold the title to their land. "
        • Risk assessments for forest risk
          No
          0/2
        • Operations assessed to comply with law
          Yes
          2/2
          Operations assessed to comply with law
          Yes
          2/2
          "Suppliers shall operate in compliance with the applicable national and local legal requirements. Suppliers shall comply strictly with all antitrust and competition law. [...] Supplier must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request or during audit on location by AAK personnel or by a third party."
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          No
          0/4
        • Report volumes of commodity sourced/used
          Reporting total volume
          3/3
          Report volumes of commodity sourced/used
          Reporting total volume
          3/3
          Total volume: 1238493 tonnes

          What is the non-DCF commodity volume sourced from known production areas, and proportion of total supply chain volume this represents?: NA

          Reporting certified/compliant volume: 38.1%

          Reporting non-certified/non-compliant volume: 61.9%

          What product types/sectors is this in?: Palm
          In their 2020 RSPO ACOP, AAK report their total volume of palm as 1238493 tonnes. 38.12% of this is RSPO certified
        • Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          3/5
          Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          2.5/5
          What steps has the company taken to implement their labour rights commitment?: audit and collaborate with suppliers to address issues

          What percentage/number of new interests, developments, or expansions has the company used FPIC to secure consent of indigenous peoples/local communities?: NA

          What is the status of those FPIC processes?: NA
          In relation to the supplier code of conduct for raw material suppliers which states their human rights requirements and FPIC commitments - "Suppliers must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request or during audit on location by AAK personnel or by a third party."[...]"AAK will take appropriate action to investigate issues and seek to work with the supplier to resolve it."
        • Monitor compliance for zero tolerance approach and customary rights
          No
          0/5
        • Upstream: Impact assessments for land development/acquisition
          No
          0/4
        • Upstream: Reporting production/processing locations
          No disclosure
          0/4
        • Downstream: Reporting suppliers
          Yes, report direct suppliers
          2/4
          Downstream: Reporting suppliers
          Yes, report direct suppliers
          2/4
          Does the company disclose location of suppliers' production areas or primary processing sites?: Yes

          What type of location data (boundary, point, etc.) is provided for smallholder farms?: na

          What is the volume of each forest risk commodity that the company sourced in the previous year from each national or subnational location?: na

          For what percent is no location data disclosed?: 0%

          For what percent are boundaries disclosed?: 0%

          For what percent of smallholder suppliers is location disclosed?: na

          For what percent of suppliers' production areas are point locations disclosed?: 100%

          From what country(ies) does the company source material?: Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Soloman Islands, Papua New Guinea, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ivory Coast, India, Thailand, Liberia

          From what sub-national jurisdiction(s) does the company source material?: na
          "Public mill list and grievance addendum Our universe of mills list is updated twice a year. To access our most recent mill list, please click here: AAK Public Mill List."
        • Upstream: Monitor compliance of production/processing
          No
          0/4
        • Upstream: Reporting hectares of deforestation
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes, for its suppliers
          2/4
          Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes, for its suppliers
          2/4
          For what percentage of suppliers does the company use/rely on external mechanisms to monitor compliance?: 0 not specified

          For what percentage of the commodity sourced by the company is deforestation/conversion monitored at the farm level on production units known to be in the company's supply chain?: 0 not specified

          For what percent of suppliers does the company directly monitor compliance of production or processing operations?: NA

          How frequently is compliance assessed?: not specified

          How is compliance monitored?: Certification; Internal monitoring and verification systems

          What percentage of the company's supply chain volume does that represent?: 0 not specified
          "AAK recognises RSPO certification as the foremost established and stable systematic organisation and standard for sustainable palm oil [...] AAK conducts on-site assessments of our suppliers and their supply chains, including with external third-party assessors"
        • Downstream: Reporting hectares of deforestation
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers with a time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/2
          Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers with a time-bound threat of exclusion
          2/2
          Does the company work with the non-compliant supplier to develop an implementation plan to remedy associated harms or non-compliance?: No

          What criteria does the policy specify for blacklisting or exclusion?: no solution to non compliance with deforestation commitment

          What type of support does the company offer to its suppliers to help them achieve compliance with commitments?: action plan with supplier

          Does the company commit to engage with rightsholders, Indigenous peoples and local communities when developing the implementation plan?: No

          Does the company engage non-compliant indirect suppliers in order to address and remedy non-compliance?: Yes
          "breaching AAK's Code of Conduct for Raw Material Suppliers [...] AAK [...] will seek to work with the supplier to resolve it. If no adequate resolution can be found, AAK will terminate commercial relations with the supplier" [...] "After each mill visit, a timebound action plan is developed with the mill to address any issues identified."
        • Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          Yes, engaged; Yes, excluded
          2/2
          Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          Yes, engaged; Yes, excluded
          2/2
          How many noncompliant producers or suppliers are engaged through improvement plans or other processes, and what percentage of the company's supply chain volume does that represent?: Unclear percentage of supply chain. Number of mills set out in mill grievance list

          Does the company have a list of blacklisted or otherwise excluded suppliers or producers?: No
          AK report the status of the non compliances raised with them and found by them in a mill grievance list.
    • Pulp & Paper *
      8/90
      • Commitment Strength
        0/17
        • Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
          0/9.5
          • Commitment details
            No commitment
            0/6
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            No
            0/2
          • Target date
            Post 2050 or no target date
            0/1
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.5
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          0/7.5
          • Commitment details
            No traceability commitment
            0/4
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            No
            0/2
          • Target date
            Post 2050 or no target date
            0/1
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.5
      • Associated Human Rights Abuses
        3/17
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Details of commitment: Discrimination; Forced labour; Child labour; Freedom of association

          Other workers' rights commitments: Only work legal working hours; Guaranteed safe and healthy workspaces; Free from abusive practices/undue disciplinary procedures

          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: all external suppliers and their subcontractors
          "AAK requires all external suppliers and their subcontractors to comply with this Code. The Code applies to all actors in the supply chain back to the origin of the raw material.[...] Freedom of association [...] Forced labour [...] Child labour [...] Discrimination [...] Suppliers shall comply with all applicable national and legal standards on working hours and overtime [...] Suppliers shall offer a safe working environment for all employees. Adequate health and safety procedures and the use of relevant protective equipment shall be implemented. [...] Suppliers shall protect employees in the working place against physical, verbal, sexual or psychological harassment, abuse or threats"
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          No
          0/2
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          No commitment
          0/2
        • Commitment to remediation
          No
          0/1
        • Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          No
          0/3
        • Commitment to respect customary rights to land, resources, and territory
          No
          0/3
        • Zero-tolerance approach to violence and threats
          No
          0/3
      • Implementation and Reporting
        5/56
        • Reporting is independently verified
          No
          0/2
        • Suppliers aligned with deforestation commitments across supply chain
          No
          0/3
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Collaborative actions
          No
          0/2
        • Jurisdictional approach focused on sustainable land use
          No
          0/2
        • Risk assessments for forest risk
          No
          0/2
        • Operations assessed to comply with law
          Yes
          2/2
          Operations assessed to comply with law
          Yes
          2/2
          "Suppliers shall operate in compliance with the applicable national and local legal requirements. Suppliers shall comply strictly with all antitrust and competition law. [...] Supplier must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request or during audit on location by AAK personnel or by a third party."
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          No
          0/4
        • Report volumes of commodity sourced/used
          No reporting
          0/3
        • Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          3/5
          Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          2.5/5
          What is the status of those FPIC processes?: NA

          What percentage/number of new interests, developments, or expansions has the company used FPIC to secure consent of indigenous peoples/local communities?: NA

          What steps has the company taken to implement their labour rights commitment?: Audits
          In relation to the supplier code of conduct for raw material suppliers which states their human rights requirements and FPIC commitments - "Suppliers must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request or during audit on location by AAK personnel or by a third party."
        • Monitor compliance for zero tolerance approach and customary rights
          No
          0/5
        • Downstream: Reporting suppliers
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Reporting hectares of deforestation
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          No engagement or exclusion
          0/2
        • Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          No disclosure
          0/2
    • Soy *
      28/90
      • Commitment Strength
        9/17
        • Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
          9/9.5
          • Commitment details
            Zero-gross conversion
            6/6
            Commodity-specific deforestation commitment
            Zero-gross conversion
            6/6
            Does the company commitment also explicitly apply to hidden/indirect soy?: No

            When was this commitment set?: NA
            "Commitments [...] 100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free [...] soy supply chains by 2025"
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            Yes
            2/2
            "Commitments [...] 100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm soy supply chains by 2025"
          • Target date
            2025
            0.8/1
            Target date
            2025
            0.8/1
            What actions or steps are identified for time-bound implementation?: 100% conversion free soy
            "Commitments [...] 100 percent verified deforestation-free and conversion-free palm soy supply chains by 2025"
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.5
        • Commitment to a traceable supply chain
          0/7.5
          • Commitment details
            No traceability commitment
            0/4
          • Commitment applies to all regions, suppliers and operation
            No
            0/2
          • Target date
            Post 2050 or no target date
            0/1
          • Interim target date
            No
            0/0.5
      • Associated Human Rights Abuses
        7/17
        • Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Labour rights in the supply chain
          Yes
          3/3
          Details of commitment: Discrimination; Forced labour; Child labour; Freedom of association

          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: all external suppliers and their subcontractors

          Other workers' rights commitments: Only work legal working hours; Guaranteed safe and healthy workspaces; Free from abusive practices/undue disciplinary procedures
          "AAK requires all external suppliers and their subcontractors to comply with this Code. The Code applies to all actors in the supply chain back to the origin of the raw material.[...] Freedom of association [...] Forced labour [...] Child labour [...] Discrimination [...] Suppliers shall comply with all applicable national and legal standards on working hours and overtime [...] Suppliers shall offer a safe working environment for all employees. Adequate health and safety procedures and the use of relevant protective equipment shall be implemented. [...] Suppliers shall protect employees in the working place against physical, verbal, sexual or psychological harassment, abuse or threats"
        • Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          Yes
          2/2
          Inclusion of small-scale farmers
          Yes
          2/2
          What is the nature of that support?: Technical assistance/support

          How many smallholders do they support, and what percentage does this represent in terms of their sourcing from smallholders?: Not specified
          "smallholder inclusion in raw material supply chains is a key objective for AAK. Our policy is to actively ensure that smallholders are not excluded from our supply chain" [...]"Indian soy smallholder engagementIn line with AAK’s Policy for Responsible Sourcing of Vegetable Oils, our joint venture in India, AAK Kamani, has committed to actively include smallholders into its soy supply chain."
        • Gender equality in the supply chain
          No commitment
          0/2
        • Commitment to remediation
          No
          0/1
        • Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes, the company commits to test for FPIC prior to acquiring new interests, developments, or expansions
          2/3
          Commitment to test Free, Prior and Informed Consent
          Yes, the company commits to test for FPIC prior to acquiring new interests, developments, or expansions
          2/3
          How far back in the supply chain does this commitment apply?: all external suppliers and their subcontractors
          "Land rights and tenure - AAK will only source raw materials from growers with the necessary land rights, and where legal or customary rights of others are not adversely affected. In particular, our requirement is that new development only takes place with the free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) or equivalent of other land rights holders such as local communities. [...] Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) FPIC is a principle requiring that indigenous and local communities have the right to give or withhold their consent to proposed projects that may affect the lands to which they hold legal title, or they customarily own, occupy or otherwise use"
        • Commitment to respect customary rights to land, resources, and territory
          No
          0/3
        • Zero-tolerance approach to violence and threats
          No
          0/3
      • Implementation and Reporting
        13/56
        • Reporting proportion of compliant volumes
          0/0
        • Reporting is independently verified
          No
          0/2
        • Suppliers aligned with deforestation commitments across supply chain
          No
          0/3
        • Deforestation cut off date
          No
          0/2
        • Collaborative actions
          Yes
          2/2
          Collaborative actions
          Yes
          2/2
          What initiatives does the company participate in?: SMART

          What is the nature of that participation?: Attending & contributing to meetings; Providing support/ advice/ experience/ expertise; Providing technical capacity
          "In line with AAK’s Policy for Responsible Sourcing of Vegetable Oils, our joint venture in India, AAK Kamani, has committed to actively include smallholders into its soy supply chain. [...] AAK Kamani has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the so-called SMART project in Maharashtra, India. [...] The key objectives of the project are: Supporting value addition in the post-harvest segment of agricultural value chains ;Developing a mechanism for productive alliances involving various stakeholders in agricultural supply chains; Improving the current policy and regulatory framework in the agribusiness sector; Developing marketing and credit linkages with community-based organizations (CBOs) like farmer producer companies, cluster-level federations and farmer groups; Improving the efficiency in agricultural supply chains through private sector partnerships that can be scaled up through project interventions."
        • Jurisdictional approach focused on sustainable land use
          No
          0/2
        • Risk assessments for forest risk
          Yes
          2/2
          Risk assessments for forest risk
          Yes
          2/2
          For what percentage of material produced or sourced by the company has forest risk been assessed?: 100%

          How frequently are assessments conducted?: not specified
          "After an initial risk assessment in 2019, where about 90 percent of AAK-sourced soy volumes were rated at “low risk” for deforestation, we have once again partnered with Proforest to fully map our supply base."
        • Operations assessed to comply with law
          Yes
          2/2
          Operations assessed to comply with law
          Yes
          2/2
          "Suppliers shall operate in compliance with the applicable national and local legal requirements. Suppliers shall comply strictly with all antitrust and competition law. [...] Supplier must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request or during audit on location by AAK personnel or by a third party."
        • Accessible grievance mechanism
          No
          0/4
        • Report volumes of commodity sourced/used
          No reporting
          0/3
        • Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          3/5
          Monitor compliance for labour rights and FPIC
          Yes, and publishes evidence of actions taken to implement its commitment on labour rights in the production or primary processing operations that it owns, manages or otherwise controls or its supply chains
          2.5/5
          What percentage/number of new interests, developments, or expansions has the company used FPIC to secure consent of indigenous peoples/local communities?: NA

          What steps has the company taken to implement their labour rights commitment?: audit

          What is the status of those FPIC processes?: NA
          In relation to the supplier code of conduct for raw material suppliers which states their human rights requirements and FPIC commitments - "Suppliers must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request or during audit on location by AAK personnel or by a third party."[...]"AAK will take appropriate action to investigate issues and seek to work with the supplier to resolve it."
        • Monitor compliance for zero tolerance approach and customary rights
          No
          0/5
        • Downstream: Reporting suppliers
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes, for its suppliers
          2/4
          Downstream: Monitor compliance in supply chain
          Yes, for its suppliers
          2/4
          For what percentage of the commodity sourced by the company is deforestation/conversion monitored at the farm level on production units known to be in the company's supply chain?: 0 Not specified

          For what percentage of suppliers does the company use/rely on external mechanisms to monitor compliance?: NA

          How is compliance monitored?: Internal monitoring and verification systems

          What percentage of the company's supply chain volume does that represent?: 0 Not specified

          For what percent of suppliers does the company directly monitor compliance of production or processing operations?: 0 Not specified

          How frequently is compliance assessed?: Not specified
          "Suppliers must maintain documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with the requirements of this Code. The documentation must be made available to AAK on written request. AAK will conduct on-site assessments of our suppliers and their supply chain including with external third-party assessors [...] AAK will only source raw materials that have been produced without High Carbon Stock deforestation, conversion of High Conservation Value areas, or development on peatland soils. [...] AAK’s objective is to ensure traceability in our raw material supply chains, sufficient to ensure that we achieve transparency of raw material origins, as the basis for assuring compliance with these policy requireme
        • Downstream: Reporting hectares of deforestation
          No
          0/4
        • Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          1/2
          Downstream: Engagement with non-compliant suppliers
          Engage with suppliers but with no time-bound threat of exclusion
          1/2
          What type of support does the company offer to its suppliers to help them achieve compliance with commitments?: dialogue and cooperation

          What criteria does the policy specify for blacklisting or exclusion?: Should a supplier fail to comply with the requirements of the Code, AAK will through dialogue and cooperation try to solve the situation or as a last resort terminate the relationship.

          Does the company work with the non-compliant supplier to develop an implementation plan to remedy associated harms or non-compliance?: No

          Does the company engage non-compliant indirect suppliers in order to address and remedy non-compliance?: No

          Does the company commit to engage with rightsholders, Indigenous peoples and local communities when developing the implementation plan?: No
          "Suppliers shall strive to minimize the environmental impact of their activities through responsible management, widespread environmental awareness and the use of technologies with low environmental impact. AAK will only source raw materials that have been produced without High Carbon Stock deforestation, conversion of High Conservation Value areas, or development on peatland soils. [...] Should a supplier fail to comply with the requirements of the Code, AAK will through dialogue and cooperation try to solve the situation or as a last resort terminate the relationship."
        • Downstream: Disclosure of non-compliant suppliers
          No disclosure
          0/2
  • * commodity scores for which a company is not a powerbroker are given half the weighting of other commodities in total scores

  • Commitment strength
    10/17
    Avg. score
  • Implementation and Reporting
    16/56
    Avg. score
  • Associated Human Rights Abuses
    6/17
    Avg. score

Profile

AAK refines vegetable oils for specialised products mainly for foodservice, chocolate and confectionery, and technical products. The Swedish company has 19 production facilities and sales offices in more than 25 countries, and claims to be the world’s leading manufacturer of specialty vegetable fats. AAK sources Soy from South America and Palm Oil from Southeast Asia and Central America. AAK AB is selected as a powerbroker for palm oil and is also assessed for its exposure to soy and paper packaging.

Sector
Industry sector 
Ingredients, Oils & fats, Packaged Foods & Meats, Paper Packaging
Segments
Trader, Processor, Manufacturer
HQ
HQ 
Sweden
Company Type
Company type 
CO
Collective Commitments
Consumer Goods Forum member
New York Declaration on Forests signatory

Top Brands

Prep, Lion, Prep Premium, Whirl, Uncle Johns

How we assess the Forest 500

To ensure deforestation free supply chains, companies need to adopt and implement timebound and measurable policies for forest risk commodities.

All assessments use policies published on company websites, some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Disclaimer

This assessment has been carried out following the methodology developed for the Forest 500 project, available here. Please see our disclaimer applicable to all information contained within this site and our terms and conditions for use of data presented on this site.

All assessments use policies published on company and financial institution websites, and while we endeavor to keep them updated some links may have changed or been removed since the time of assessment.

Please contact us with any concerns or feedback about this or other assessments included in the Forest 500.