Mitr Phol Group Sustainability

Key Stakeholders: Shareholders/ Farmers/ Community/ Suppliers/ Customer and Consumers/ Employees/ Government and Civil Society Sectors

Mitr Phol Group recognizes that business operations inevitably involve many stakeholders; hence, respect for human rights throughout the entire value chain is its top priority. The business sector has a vital duty to respect and promote human rights through operations that help improve the quality of life and the development of products and services. Consequently, the company has fostered understanding and awareness of human rights among its personnel to ensure that human rights practices are implemented across the supply chain.

2023 Target and Performance

Target
Performance
Handling of human rights complaints
100%
100%

Management Approach

Mitr Phol’s operations adhere to the UN’s guiding principles on business and human rights and align with international standards such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), and the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Accordingly, the Board of Directors has established the Human Rights Policy, which is reviewed annually, and established a Human Rights Due Diligence process in cooperation with the relevant departments. The Sustainability Development Section under the Corporate Sustainability Department, the Corporate Sustainability Division, is responsible for operation and coordination with other departments across Mitr Phol’s businesses. They review current risk trends from business activities, suppliers, and partners throughout the value chain to ensure compliance with laws and international human rights principles.

Human Rights Due Diligence

Human Rights Due Diligence

Mitr Phol has conducted Human Rights Due Diligence in accordance with the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights as follows: 

  1. The Board of Directors has reviewed the Human Rights Policy and mandated its enforcement across the business activities of Mitr Phol Sugar Company Limited and its subsidiaries, including investments in related businesses, such as mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures. The policy is aligned with the Company’s practices and ensures compliance with relevant laws, regulations, and international human rights principles.
  2. Mitr Phol's human rights risks in 2022 were reviewed to analyze risks and assess impacts. This includes issues such as forced labor, human trafficking, child labor, freedom of association, rights to collective bargaining, equal remuneration, discrimination, and harassment. The review also includes relevant issues that may affect the Company's stakeholder, employees, third-party employees, and vulnerable populations, such as children, women, people with disabilities, migrant workers, and local communities.
  3. Mitr Phol has conducted a risk assessment and developed a human rights risk register to identify potential risks affecting its stakeholders every 3 years. This enables the Company to identify significant risk issues and mitigation measures to minimize their impacts and likelihood both presently and in the future. Workshops have been organized for departments across Mitr Phol’s seven business groups, covering all activities within the value chain, and its subsidiaries, including investments in related businesses, such as mergers and acquisitions. This comprehensive approach represents 100% of operational areas, from raw material sourcing, production, maintenance, and construction to the storage and delivery of products and services. The assessment encompasses both core and support activities.
Scope of Human Rights Due Diligence

Human Rights–Related Risk Management Measures

Salient Human Rights Issues Operational Measures 
Labor 
1. Occupational Health and Safety  
  1. Establish a safety policy such as standard operating procedures, and the use of tools and equipment. 
  2. Implement life-saving rules based on the specific risks of each business unit, conduct organization-wide safety assessments, and engage each factory in accordance with the SSHE framework. 
  3. Cultivate a safety culture in the organization. 
  4. Provide training on work safety and on working in risky areas for employees, farmers, and contractors. 
  5. Prepare personal protective equipment (PPE) for employees and equipment standards are set for contractors. 
  6. Implement a Behavior-Based Safety Program and report any unsafe conditions for corrective action. 
  7. Register pregnant employees annually to track the number of pregnancies and to ensure appropriate job placements that better suit their physical condition during pregnancy. 
  8. Organize health promotion activities, such as Losing Belly Fat and Live a Healthier Life. 
  9. Achieve the ISO 45001:2018 Occupational Health and Safety Management System certification. 
2. Unclear Employment Conditions in the Supply Chain 
  1. Establish a Manual of Practices for human resources and contracted labor. 
  2. Ensure written acknowledgment of the Code of Conduct both by all employees and suppliers. 
  3. Implement an assessment process and conduct random inspections of supplier operations. 
  4. Communicate with suppliers and raise their awareness about labor laws and human rights policies. 
  5. Establish an explicit complaint-handling process. 
3. Care for Children in the Workplace 
  1. Allocate safe rest areas for farmers, their followers, and contractors.  
  2. Establish protocols for controlling and inspecting entrances and exits at all factories across every business unit.  
  3. Provide farmers with knowledge and understanding and establish an inspection process for sugarcane plantations. 
  4. Set up childcare centers in the area of sugar mills and the Panel Plus. 
Community Rights and Environment 
4. Safety and Livelihoods of People in the Community 
  1. Clear procedures for conducting community surveys and handling complaints. 
  2. A tripartite environmental management process to facilitate joint deliberation among factories, communities, and government agencies or governance networks. 
  3. Establish a dedicated unit responsible for communication, oversight, and engagement in sustainable community development. 
  4. Launch a sugarcane leaf-buying project to reduce sugarcane-burning practices and boost farmers' income. 
  5. Set a Net Zero Goal to address and mitigate the impacts of climate change. 
5. Waste Management and Pollution Control 
  1. Establish a Security, Safety, Occupational Health, and Environment policy, Green Procurement policy, and a policy to hire authorized suppliers to remove unwanted materials from factories for disposal according to the regulations of the Department of Industrial Works. 
  2. Establish a monitoring and control system in alignment with key environmental indicators. 
  3. Initiate the project to develop the AERMODEL and IoT sensor system, leveraging digital technology to create a weather and pollution forecasting program. This initiative enables real-time information dissemination, alerts, and automated control within the Company’s pollution management system. 
  4. Utilize the AERMODEL system, an air pollution forecasting tool, to analyze air quality using meteorological data and smokestack emissions. This system supports environmental management in the wood substitute material business. 
  5. Implement a plan for regular environmental quality assessments inside and outside factory premises, including installing Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMs). 
  6. Implement the Waste-to-Value project to explore and manage waste recycling opportunities, such as researching and repurposing ash from power plants. 
  7. Achieve ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management Systems certification. 
6. Water Management in Business Operations 
  1. Establish wastewater treatment systems and systems to control the odor and improve air quality. 
  2. Implement a zero-discharge project by reusing treated water in Mitr Phol’s farming operations. 
Customer and Consumer Rights 
7. Health and Safety for Consumers of Sugar Products 
  1. Supervise and ensure food quality and safety in line with international standards such as ISO 9000, ISO 22000, FSSC 22000, GMP, and HACCP throughout the supply chain to maintain consumer trust in the quality and safety of the Company’s food products. 
  2. Inspect contaminants in products and control the use of herbicides and heavy metals to ensure compliance with specified standards. 
  3. Utilize industrial technology in production and packaging to meet international standards for Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) for food production (GHP) and Food Safety System Certification 22000 (FSSC 22000). 
  4. Regularly survey customer and consumer satisfaction and incorporate feedback to continuously improve the quality of products and services to maintain customer satisfaction. 
  5. Establish the process and channels for receiving complaints and suggestions about products or services, ensuring prompt complaint handling to enhance customer satisfaction. 

Based on the human rights risk assessment in both the company’s business activities and its supply chain activities, it was found that 12 out of 43 operational sites (accounting for 27.91% of all operational sites) are areas with salient human rights issues. The company has implemented mitigation measures covering 100% of the areas identified with salient human rights issues. 

Whistleblowing Channels

Mitr Phol has established channels for receiving complaints regarding human rights violations, ensuring respect for the rights of complainants and whistleblowers. The Company will handle these complaints by conducting transparent investigations and resolving them within a specified timeframe. It will provide regular progress updates to complainants and affected parties on the handling process and will determine appropriate remedies for each case. 

Mitr Phol has designated directors, executives, supervisors, the Corporate Governance Department, the Human Resources Division, and the Audit Office to be responsible for receiving, gathering, and reporting complaints to the Corporate Governance Unit. Internal and external stakeholders of the Company and its subsidiaries can file their complaints through the following channels:

Mitr Phol’s Website

www.mitrphol.com/whistleblowing

Post

Corporate Governance Department, Mitr Phol Sugar Corp., Ltd. (Head Office), 3rd Floor, Ploenchit Center, 2 Sukhumvit Road, Khlong Toei, Bangkok, 10110

Other channels

Other channels that complainants find suitable and convenient for them

Remedy and Reparation

After receiving complaints about human rights violations, the Company will conduct a thorough and transparent investigation. If it is determined that the Company's operations have violated human rights, the Company will provide remedies to the affected parties based on the specific circumstances of each incident. These violations will be reported to the Risk Management Committee, which will develop more appropriate control measures. Employees found to have violated human rights including discriminatory behavior or harassment are considered to have breached the Code of Conduct and will face disciplinary actions. These may include suspension, deduction of wages, dismissal from service, and potential legal penalties if their actions are deemed unlawful.

The Outstanding Role Model Organization Human Rights Award

Mitr Phol Sugar Corp., Ltd. received the Outstanding Role Model Organization Human Rights Award 2023 in the Large Enterprise category for the 4th consecutive year from the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, Ministry of Justice.

Related Policy and Statements

Human Rights Policy