Ajinomoto : Sustainability Report 2023 and Appendices (Environmental Data, Personnel and Labor-Related Data)

Ajinomoto Group

Sustainability Report 2023

Sustainability Policy and	Key initiatives and	Help Extend the Healthy Life	Reduce Our Environmental	Social	Governance
Framework	progress	Expectancy of 1 Billion People	Impact by 50%

Contents

Sustainability Policy and Framework

CEO Message

P002

Message from the Director of Sustainability

P003

Ajinomoto Group Vision

P004

Materiality

Identification process of important issues

(Materiality) for the Ajinomoto Group

P007

Materiality Relation Chart

P008

Important issues (Materiality) for the Ajinomoto Group

P009

Framework for ESG and Sustainability

P016

Dialogue and Collaboration with Stakeholders

Stakeholder engagement

P018

Expectations and recommendations from

external stakeholders

P019

FY2022 Activity Report

P023

Key initiatives and progress

P024

Help Extend the Healthy Life Expectancy of 1 Billion People

P027

Reduce Our Environmental Impact by 50%

P044

Social

P087

Governance

P119

Editorial policy

GRI2-2,GRI2-3

Beginning this year, we changed the name of this publication from Sustainability Data Book to Sustainability Report. The Sustainability Report is a report that describes the Ajinomoto Group's approach to sustainability and initiatives from the perspectives of health and nutrition, environment (E), society (S), and governance (G), along with numerical data. We hope this report, in combination with our ASV Report (integrated report), enhances the understanding of our stakeholders, including shareholders and investors, related to our approach to sustainable value creation.

This report conforms to GRI standards.

Organizational scope

This report covers the activities of the Group, comprising, unless otherwise noted, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. ("the Company") and its consolidated subsidiaries and equity-method affiliates (as of March 31, 2023). When comprehensive Group information is not available, the data parameters are explicitly defined.

Period covered by this report

Fiscal 2022 (April 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023)

Past circumstances, data, and recent cases outside of this time period are presented when appropriate.

More detailed information is available on our corporate website.

https://www.ajinomoto.com/sustainability/

Ajinomoto Group

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Sustainability Report 2023

CEO Message

Dear stakeholders GRI2-22

SustainabilitySustaina i Policylicy andand	Key initiatives and	Help Extend the Healthy Life	Reduce Our Environmental	Social	Governance
FrameworkFr rk	progress	Expectancy of 1 Billion People	Impact by 50%

From a starting point in research into amino acids, the Ajinomoto Group's growth has been driven by "AminoScience"*. Our story began in 1908, when Dr. Kikunae Ikeda, who wanted to improve the nutrition of the Japanese people, discovered umami, and company founder Saburosuke Suzuki commercialized it as the product AJI- NO-MOTO® in 1909. Even now, over a century later, the founding aspiration of "Eat well, Live well." is being carried forward in the form of Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value (ASV), an initiative aimed at co-creating both social value and economic value while helping to resolve social issues.

In the rapidly changing and unpredictable business environment of today, the our Purpose in which we are grounded is becoming all the more important. Looking beyond our past purpose of "unlocking the power of amino acids to resolve food and health issues," we have now

Taro Fujie

President & Chief Executive Officer

evolved the Ajinomoto Group's purpose to contribute to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with "AminoScience". This Purpose is by no means limited to the beliefs of our management, but rather reflects the spontaneous aspirations of the Ajinomoto Group employees around the world and our determination to meet the expectations of our many and diverse stakeholders, including the Sustainability Advisory Council. In line with the evolution of our Purpose, we have also evolved "Our Philosophy."

> Our Philosophy

In April 2021, we established the Sustainability Advisory Council to pursue long-term sustainability issues and sustainable value creation, and has been engaged in dialogue with various stakeholders to realize our vision and

increase long-term corporate value. Then, we established important issues that the Ajinomoto Group should address from a long-term perspective. Going forward, we will engage in dialogue with stakeholders, all the while taking measures and making disclosures regarding specific initiatives,

KPIs, etc. as part of our management strategy. By 2030, we will achieve two outcomes, "help extend the healthy life expectancy of one billion people," and "reduce our environmental impact by 50%", by addressing both health and nutrition issues and contributing to the environment through the food system.

Our corporate slogan, "Eat Well, Live Well." is an expression of the Ajinomoto Group's determination not only to deliver even better taste to people around the world, but also

to contribute to solving the food, medical, environmental problems facing human beings, and realization of Smart Society via scientific efforts to promote health through daily meals and via "AminoScience." To achieve "Eat Well, Live Well." by going beyond resolving food and health issues and contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with "AminoScience", we will continue to hone our initiatives, driven by the diverse stakeholders who share the purpose and heartfelt passion of each of our employees. Through dialogue, we will push ahead to achieve ASV and will strive to dramatically and continuously enhance our corporate value.

• A collective term for the various materials, functions, technologies, and services derived from research and implementation processes with a rigorous focus on the function of amino acids. It also refers to the Ajinomoto Group's unique scientific approach to connect these to resolving social issues and contributing to well-being.

Ajinomoto Group

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Sustainability Report 2023

SustainabilitySustaina i Policylicy andand	Key initiatives and	Help Extend the Healthy Life	Reduce Our Environmental	Social	Governance
FrameworkFr rk	progress	Expectancy of 1 Billion People	Impact by 50%

Message from the Director of Sustainability

Contributing to the well-being with "AminoScience" GRI2-22

Chika Morishima

Executive Officer &Vice President, In charge of Sustainability and Communications

intake various proteins, and offer nutritionally balanced meals. We also participate actively in government projects and engage with international organizations to link the strengths of Japanese nutrition improvement initiatives, which considers nutrition through menu options and comprehensive meal plans, to solutions for global nutrition issues.

In terms of environmental impact reduction, we seek

to achieve net zero GHG emissions by the year 2050. In

addition, we established task forces under the Sustainability

Committee consisting of members from business

departments, overseas affiliates, and factories. These task

forces work to eliminate plastic waste, reduce food loss and

waste, procure sustainable ingredients, reduce water usage,

and conserve biodiversity.

As each of these sustainability initiatives affect others,

we must take a holistic approach. And we hope to contribute

to the well-being of all humans, our society and our planet by

The Ajinomoto Group's fundamental management policy is the management through ASV (Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value). ASV is our commitment to co-creating social value and economic value through our businesses. It means that we are incorporating sustainability into our management foundation. In other words, sustainability is not a topic that a business should take into consideration, but rather something to integrate into the very underpinnings of management and business.

• In February 2023, we revised the Ajinomoto Group's important issues (Materiality). The revised Materiality reflects the capabilities, key perspectives, and values necessary for the Group to sustainably create value from a long-term and multi-stakeholder perspective, looking ahead to the year 2050.
• Also in February 2023, the Group has advanced our

Purpose to 'contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with "AminoScience." Our Purpose and Materiality are connected closely. And the initiatives tied to Materiality are truly ASV initiatives to achieve our Purpose.

• To achieve this Purpose, we pursue efforts toward two outcomes to meet by the year 2030: (1) help extend the healthy life expectancy of 1 billion people and (2) reduce our environmental impact by 50%. We see initiatives for healthy nutrition toward extending healthy life expectancies and initiatives toward reducing our environmental impact as linked intrinsically by the food system. By working on both together, we contribute to building a sustainable and sound food system.
• Our unique approach to improving nutrition is Nutrition Without Compromise, aiming to help reduce salt intake,

leveraging the Ajinomoto Group strengths in "AminoScience"

and engaging in unique the Group initiatives.

As an example, amino acid fermentation is a core

technology of the Group. For more than 40 years, the Group

has effectively utilized essentially 100% of the nutrient-rich

co-products of amino acid production as fertilizers. We

continue to strengthen the development of our biostimulant

business by expanding co-products applications. In our

Customized Feed Solution business that utilizes amino

acids, we have evolved our efforts to reduce dairy farm GHG

(methane) emissions. Today, we conduct more impactful

initiatives than ever. These contributions are truly unique

Ajinomoto Group inputs into the food system. We will

continue to make the most of the Group strengths in "Amino

Science" to reduce our environmental impact and make a

more positive contribution to the environment.

Ajinomoto Group

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Sustainability Report 2023

Ajinomoto Group Vision

Ajinomoto Group Vision

Our Philosophy

	GRI2-23
Approach

Since our founding, the Ajinomoto Group has engaged consistently in initiatives to solve social issues through our businesses. These initiatives create economic value, solve social issues, and lead to growth.

• We call these initiatives ASV (The Ajinomoto Group Creating Shared Value), and they serve as the core of how we will achieve our purpose.
• In February 2023, The Ajinomoto Group has advanced our Purpose from "Unlocking the power of amino acids to resolve the food and health issues" to "Contributing to the well-being of all human beings, our society and our planet with 'AminoScsience'." This new Purpose reflects our desire to leverage the unique Ajinomoto Group strengths in "AminoScience", not only to solve food and health issues, but also to contribute to well-being. As its Purpose evolves, we have revised Our Philosophy to be more concise and clear.
• • Our Philosophy

SustainabilitySustaina i Policylicy andand	Key initiatives and	Help Extend the Healthy Life	Reduce Our Environmental	Social	Governance
FrameworkFr rk	progress	Expectancy of 1 Billion People	Impact by 50%

Corporate Slogan

Eat Well, Live Well.

	Purpose
	Contributing to the well-
	being of all human beings,
Purpose	our society and our planet
with "AminoScience"

ASV	ASV Initiatives
Ajinomoto Group	Co-creation of social and
economic value through our
Creating Shared Value
business

AGW	Values
Create new value, Pioneer
Ajinomoto Group Way	spirit, Social contribution,
	Value people

Ajinomoto Group

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Sustainability Report 2023