Sustainability Approach and Organization
An inclusive sustainability approach that extends from production to people
As Aromsa, we care for sustainability not only in rhetoric, but also in action. In recent years, we have been incorporating this approach into every aspect of our strategic goals, thus turning theory into practice. We live up to our sustainability commitments at every step, from production to supply chain, from R&D to employee experience.
To ensure sustainability in production, we develop backup systems for our production lines and succession plan for our human resources. Our basic principle dictates that we do not to compromise on quality. Furthermore, to ensure continuous supply of raw material, i.e. one of the most critical issues, we are expanding our capacity both in the local market and export market, and allocating more resources to production, R&D and quality processes. Thus, we secure continuous production by avoiding disruptions in supply.
Our partners, suppliers and stakeholders are the driving forces behind our sustainable growth. Since 2021, we have been providing regular training to our suppliers through the ‘Aromsa Supplier Empowerment Program’, which was introduced to further advance the food industry in Türkiye. We support growth together by sharing know-how on various areas, such as food safety, allergen regulations, flavour regulations, microbiology, product analysis, and production modelling.
Aromsa’s understanding of sustainability is not limited to environmental or economic domains. As part of our vision of being a socially responsible company that touches the lives of people, we also prioritize social projects that add value to the lives of our employees. We view them not just as employees, but as individuals whom we can enrich by improving their quality of life. To this end, the Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s understanding of ‘social factory’ provides the guidance for us.
Sustainability is not a destination for us, it is a journey. We plan and implement every step we take on this journey together for a better future.
CORE ELEMENTS OF OUR SUSTAINABILITY APPROACH
As Aromsa, we address sustainability in a holistic manner across the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) domains. We focus on concrete practices and long-term strategies in each domain.
Our Environmental Focal Points
Resource Efficiency: We optimize our production processes to improve efficiency in the use of energy, water and raw materials.
Renewable Energy: We aim to reduce our carbon footprint through solar power plant (SPP) investments.
Waste Management: We are using systematic solutions for the sorting, recycling and reuse of organic and inorganic waste.
Circular Economy Approach: We are developing projects to reuse organic waste, such as coffee pulp, as alternative raw materials.
Our Social Focal Points
Employee Well-being and Development: We support the sustainable development of our employees through training, career development, diversity and inclusion projects.
Supplier Empowerment Program: Since 2021, we have been providing regular training to our business partners to improve their knowledge and competencies in the areas of food safety, legislation, and quality.
Contribution to Society: We expand our social impact by supporting arts and cultural projects, and organize events that add value to the lives of our employees in line with our ‘social company’ vision.
Our Governance Focal Points
Ethics and Transparency: Our core values include transparency in all processes and full compliance with our code of conduct and applicable legislation.
Risk and Crisis Management: We have sustainable operations with backup systems that guarantee raw material supply and continuous production.
Integration of Sustainability: At Aromsa, ESG criteria are not only indicators, rather they are an integral part of our corporate strategy, which we integrate into decision-making processes.
Aromsa joined the United Nations Global Compact (UN Global Compact), i.e. the world’s largest corporate sustainability initiative, on February 7, 2023, thus becoming a participant company. The UN Global Compact supports companies in aligning their strategies and operations with the 10 principles on human rights, labour standards, the environment and the fight against corruption, while also providing leadership to the business world so that the UN Sustainable Development Goals can be attained.
For details about our commitments to the UN Global Compact, please visit https://www.aromsa.com/sustainability-un-global-compact
Effective management in environmental, social and governance domains
SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Our Sustainability Committee operates under the supervision of the Deputy General Manager and the leadership of the Corporate Communications, Marketing and Sustainability Department to effectively manage sustainability efforts across our company and ensure coordination among different departments. The Committee consists of nine members representing the following departments under the leadership of several chairs in the three domains of sustainability: environmental, social and governance.
Committee Sponsor - Melis Yasa - Deputy General Manager
Committee Chairs (ESG)
Committee Chair - Corporate Communications, Marketing and Sustainability Department
Environmental Domain Chair (E) - Environmental Management Department
Social Domain Chair (S) - Human Resources Department
Governance Domain Chair (G) - Quality Department
| Committee Members |
|---|
| Corporate Communications, Marketing and Sustainability Department |
| Legal Affairs Department |
| Purchasing Department |
| R&D Department |
| Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Department |
| Human Resources Department |
| Maintenance and Support Services Department |
| Production Department |
| Digital Transformation Department |
The Sustainability Committee convenes every month to identify the actions to be taken on material topics and monitors Aromsa’s sustainability performance. Our Committee discloses the ESG-oriented activities and developments in our Company through the quarterly Sustainability Bulletins. Six Sustainability Bulletins were published from the second quarter of 2023 until the end of 2024.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE
Monitoring Sustainability Developments
- To research and understand global trends and the ecosystem, including their implications for the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Strategic Planning, Development of Roadmaps and Coordination
- To determine sustainability goals in line with our Company’s general strategy and develop action plans under the supervision of the committee leader.
- Identifying sustainability priorities from the ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) perspective.
Implementation
- To ensure the implementation of projects by the committee members working in coordination with relevant departments.
- Planning internal training and awareness programs that include climate crisis and sustainability issues.
- To encourage employees to act responsibly towards the environment by raising awareness among the employees of the organization.
Monitoring, Tracking and Reporting on Efficiency
- To track sustainability indicators such as carbon footprint, energy consumption, amount of waste and gender balance and sharing relevant data and efficiency data with employees on a monthly basis.
- To draw up the sustainability report under the leadership of the Corporate Communications, Marketing and Sustainability Department and to collect relevant data.
- Comparing actual data with the targets and suggesting the necessary actions.
Communication and Stakeholder Relations
- To prepare sustainability bulletins and share them within the Company.
- To analyse stakeholder expectations and develop projects in order to address them.
- To represent Aromsa’s sustainability stance on national and international platforms (e.g. summits, symposiums, associations).
Innovation and Developing Collaboration Projects
- To pave the way for innovative projects in areas such as circular economy and use of alternative raw materials.
- To establish collaborations with public institutions, universities and NGOs.
- To promote sustainable product innovations.
Audit and Ethical Compliance
- To control compliance with sustainability policies.
- To improve supply chain audit processes.
- To monitor practices related to business ethics, human rights and environmental standards through internal control systems.
Aromsa Sustainability Committee