ILLEXAO™ BR - AAK

Driving corporate social responsibility
AAK is a member of the UN Global Compact and our corporate social responsibility programme is based on its ten
principles. As some of our most important raw materials come from developing countries, sourcing of these is given
special attention. We work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in West Africa to improve conditions
in countries producing shea kernels. In addition, AAK is a founding member of the Round Table for Sustainable
Palm Oil (RSPO).
world leader in shea
We are the world’s largest user of shea kernels,
which are collected on the savannahs
of West Africa and shipped to our factories
in Europe for oil extraction. Because of its
sought-after properties in food and cosmetics,
shea butter is in increasing demand
worldwide. Local AAK offices buy the kernels
collected by the local village people, mainly
women. Through their frequent contact with
the villages, our personnel identified an opportunity
to increase the availability of the
kernels while simultaneously making the
daily workload of the women less heavy and
allowing them to earn more money.
Improving living conditions
Multifunctional platforms (MFPs) help
women collecting shea kernels to reduce
their daily workload. This is achieved by a
simple, small diesel engine installed in the
villages. The engine is equipped to generate
electricity and speed up household work, as
well as the first preparation of shea kernels.
In collaboration with UNDP, AAK has successfully
completed the first part of the programme,
and is now well into the second
phase of installing numerous new MFPs in
Confectionery
villages in Burkina Faso, one of the main
shea-producing countries in West Africa.
Palm oil is beneficial
Reduction of trans fatty acids (TFA) from
different types of food is a growing trend
around the world. TFA is removed because
of its negative effect on blood cholesterol,
which increases the risk of heart disease.
In some cases, partially hydrogenated fats,
which are one of the main sources of TFA
in our diet, can be replaced by a liquid vegetable
oil such as rapeseed and canola oil.
However, with some foodstuffs that need a
solid fat, TFAs are often replaced by a combination
of palm kernel and coconut oils.
Thus these fats have become an important
raw material for the manufacture of our nonhydrogenated,
non-trans product range.
sustainable development
Palm plantations have expanded rapidly in
the last twenty years. The oil palm is a tropical
plant that requires the hot humid climate
typical for areas covered with tropical
rainforest. Thus this expansion has been
accompanied by rising concern about the
impact on biodiversity in regions that con-
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tain many rare and endangered species.
RSPO (Round Table for Sustainable Palm
Oil is a multi-stakeholder initiative aiming to
provide a platform for the sustainable production
of palm oil and to encourage users
to buy oil produced by certified plantations
(CSPO).
RSPO was created through an initiative of
the WWF (Worldwide Fund for Nature) with
AAK as founding member and very active
participant. Greenpalm Ltd was developed
by AAK and has been granted exclusivity
as a trading platform for CSPO certificates.
AAK was also the first company to import
CSPO to Europe in late 2008.
Committed to the environment
We aim to achieve the highest possible
standard in quality, food safety and environmental
issues. It is vital for us to take account
of the demands and views expressed
by customers, NGOs, shareholders, other
stakeholders and opinion leaders on subjects
such as environmental care, exploitation
of natural resources, working conditions
and child labour. We are committed to
striving continuously for sustainable development
in all parts of our supply chain.
“We take a serious ethical approach to our business”