Fiscal Year:
Introduction:
This statement is made on behalf of the Kemin Industries family of companies (hereinafter referred to collectively as “Kemin”).
The U.K Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires certain companies that conduct business in the U.K. to publish a statement each year regarding slavery. This statement will illustrate a company’s actions to ensure modern forms of slavery and human trafficking do not appear in the company’s business operations or supply chains. This particular statement covers the steps taken by Kemin during the financial year ending December 31, 2016.
Our Structure, Our Business, and Our Supply Chains:
Founded in 1961 by R.W. and Mary Nelson, Kemin started on a family farm located in Des Moines, Iowa, USA. Today, Kemin is a global nutritional ingredients company with manufacturing facilities in 9 countries, customers in more than 120 countries, and more than 2,000 employees worldwide. Kemin strives to touch half the people of the world every day by improving the quality, safety, and efficacy of food, feed and health-related products. However, Kemin recognizes that we cannot achieve this mission of improving quality of life if we only do so through use of slavery or human trafficking. Therefore, Kemin is committed to ensuring our supply chain reflects our values and our respect for human rights. Kemin is adamantly opposed to all forms of slavery and human trafficking. To that end, it is Kemin’s policy to expect that suppliers will obey all laws that require them to treat workers fairly as well as to provide a safe and healthy work environment, and Kemin issues guidelines for suppliers to follow to help ensure our supplier relationships will not damage our good reputation.
Our Policies:
Kemin uses our own staff to verify supplier compliance in obeying all relevant laws, rules, and regulations. Kemin ensures compliance by conducting onsite audits, desk audits, completing supplier questionnaires, and obtaining a supplier’s continued guarantee of compliance. In addition, Kemin’s purchasing and quality control staff is alerted to recognizing environmental, health, safety, and labor issues that could cause inconsistent adherence to these Kemin requirements. Finally, Kemin maintains internal accountability standards and procedures, detailed in our Code of Conduct, and any suppliers that fail to comply with these requirements are terminated.
Due Diligence and Managing Risk:
Kemin expects all contractors, suppliers, consultants, and business partners of any kind to uphold and comply with our high standards, specifically by ensuring all employees and workers are treated with dignity and respect in a fair and ethical environment. Though the processes outlined above, we work to identify, assess, and monitor any potential areas of risk in relation to our business and supply chains. Kemin will continuously look to manage any risks that may be identified.
Training:
Kemin is developing an online course, which will be offered through our online learning portal, to help employees better understand responsible supply chain practices and what Kemin is doing to identify, prevent and mitigate human trafficking, forced labor and child labor risks within our supply chain. All supply chain management staff will be required to complete this course.
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This statement is made pursuant to section 54(1) of the U.K. Modern Slavery Act 2015, and constitutes the slavery and human trafficking statement for the Kemin group of companies for the financial year ending December 31, 2016. This statement has also been approved by the Kemin Board of Directors. Kemin feels very strongly in our past steps taken, and continued dedication to preventing human trafficking in our business and supply chains.
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Elizabeth A. Nelson
Vice President and General Counsel
Kemin Industries, Inc.
1900 Scott Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50317
