Aeon Sustainable Procurement Principle

Aeon established the "Aeon Sustainable Procurement Principle" in February 2014, aligning with the Aeon Sustainability Principle. The policy aims to achieve both the sustainability of natural resources and the continued development of business activities.

Eliminating illegal gathering or trading of natural resources and illegal fishing.
Establishing and managing Aeon standards from the perspective of biodiversity preservation and preventing the depletion of natural resources.
Minimizing the use of non-renewable resources.
Establishing traceability, including place of production and fishing methods, for agricultural products and marine resources.
Preventing the destruction of forest land with high conservation value.

Aeon Sustainable Procurement Principle

Aeon established the "Aeon Sustainable Procurement Principle" in February 2014, aligning with the Aeon Sustainability Principle. Subsequently, Aeon formulated Aeon’s Sustainable Procurement Policy in April 2017 with a view toward greater sustainability in procurement. It stipulated procurement policies in agricultural products, livestock products, marine products, paper/pulp/wood, and palm oil in accordance with the global standards.

Agricultural products: We endeavor to source sustainable agricultural products that align with the principles of nature, ecosystems, and society. By cultivating vegetables ourselves, we aim to provide safe and delicious produce, contributing to the creation of a secure food future.
Livestock products: We are committed to sourcing sustainable livestock products that align with the principles of nature, ecosystems, and society. Through in-house beef production, we aim to offer safe and delectable beef, contributing to the establishment of a secure future for food.
Seafood: We conduct regular risk assessments with a focus on preventing resource depletion and conserving biodiversity.
Additionally, we explore practical measures to mitigate risks and actively work towards sourcing sustainable seafood.^*1
Paper, pulp, wood: We commit to utilizing wood and pulp sourced from responsibly managed forests as raw materials for our products and store materials to prevent deforestation.^{* 2}
Palm oil: We are dedicated to responsibly sourcing palm oil, a key raw material for our products, with a focus on mitigating the impact on deforestation and biodiversity.

* 1. Aeon took the initiative in formulating a procurement policy for seafood as the Aeon Sustainable Seafood Procurement Policy in 2014.
* 2. Aeon formulated the Aeon Forest Resources Procurement Principle in 2016 for the procurement of paper, pulp, and timber.

(Example) Initiatives in marine products

Aeon is consistently exploring and implementing measures to transition from endangered marine products to sustainable alternatives in the future.

Sustainable product sales

● Promoting the active sale of sustainable marine products, including those certified by MSC (Marine Stewardship Council) and ASC (Aquaculture Stewardship Council).

・Aeon has initiated the sale of natural fish products certified by MSC, demonstrating a commitment to environmental friendliness and resource sustainability.

・Additionally, from March 2014, Aeon started offering products with ASC certification, ensuring responsible aquaculture practices for marine products.

● Expanding our offerings to include a broader selection of responsibly sourced farmed seafood

・ We started selling "Amami-born raw bluefin tuna," a fully-cultured tuna that does not rely on natural tuna resources, under the TOPVALU Gurinai brand in June 2015.

・ We are committed to minimizing the environmental impact of complete aquaculture. To achieve this, we will collaborate with stakeholders to establish standards for categories that currently lack sustainability standards, such as ASC.

Elimination of illegal transactions

● Complying with international treaties such as the Washington Convention

The handling of European eel, listed as an endangered species under the Washington Convention and subject to trade restrictions, has been suspended due to the inability to comply with the regulations.

Considering the regulations limiting the export of eel fry in various countries, we abstain from procuring domestically produced different types of eel.

Concerning immature tuna fish, we will engage in proper procurement based on the decisions made by the Regional Fisheries Management Organization (RFMO), taking into account the framework that will be established in the future.

Establish traceability

● Initiatives to strengthen resource management in Indonesia

・ Initiatives have been launched to restrict the location and duration of whitebait catch.

・ To enhance resource management, we will collaborate with stakeholders to conduct investigations into the actual resource quantities and establish a management organization.

Regular risk assessment

● Establishing a sustainable procurement promotion organization

・In 2014, we established the Fisheries Assessment Committee, responsible for regular risk assessments for the sustainable use of fishery products, and the Marine Products Sustainable Use Promotion Committee, tasked with examining action guidelines and specific responses.

・ Assess the impact, scale of impacts on laws, resources, and the environment, and identify the priority of initiatives.

・ We will continue to enhance our efforts by considering feasibility, taking into account the input of external stakeholders such as experts.