International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc.

Rating Overview

International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc. is Medium Risk.

International Flavor & Fragrance (IFF) is Medium Risk. The company often yields to political activism in shaping corporate governance, potentially alienating consumers, dividing employees, and harming shareholders. The company implements race and identity-based policies that replace merit, excellence, and integrity with preferential treatment and outcomes. The company occasionally embraces corporate initiatives that redirect its central focus from business goals to partisan policies and divisive issues at times. This approach fails to safeguard free exercise, free speech, and free enterprise.

Rating Criteria

Corporate Weaponization Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Cancellations	Medium Risk
Discriminatory Philanthropy	High Risk
Employment Protection	High Risk

Corporate Weaponization ⓘ

Corporate Governance and Public Policy Risk Levels
Criteria	Risk Level
Advocacy Bias	High Risk
Funding	Medium Risk
Political Actions	No Data

Corporate Governance and Public Policy ⓘ

Rating Criteria Detail

Criteria Risk Level Rationale

Corporate Weaponization

Criteria:

Has canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors due to their political views or religious beliefs OR corporately boycotts, divests, or sanctions regions, people groups, or industries.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

IFF received a score of 75 on the 2025 Corporate Equality Index (CEI) from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), a political stakeholder group. The company recruits employees based on sexual identity issues. The company discriminates against vendors that do not promote divisive sex and gender policies, indicating it prioritizes sexual issues over merit (1)(2). The company integrates ESG into its business practices. From its 2024 ESG Report: “The Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) is IFF’s short-term incentive
that compensates all eligible employees, including executive
officers and managers. In 2024, it was directly linked to both
individual performance and Company financial performance on certain metrics, including EBITDA, currency neutral sales
growth, and an ESG Index (Modifier)” (3). IFF integrates DEI into its supply chain. From its Vendor Code of Conduct: “IFF values, honors and respects differences and promotes diversity, equity and
inclusion across our supply chain and expects its Vendors to do the same” (4). The company promotes divisive sex and gender policies. Its Vendor Code of Conduct requires international vendors to include sexual orientation and gender identity in their nondiscrimination policy (5). However, IFF has not canceled customers, suppliers, or vendors based on political views or religious beliefs (6).

Criteria:

Charitable giving (including employee matching programs) policies or practices discriminate against charitable organizations based on views or religious beliefs.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

IFF’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company will not donate to non-religious charities unless they embrace controversial sexual identity policies (1)(2). The company will not match gifts to “religious organizations” (3).

Criteria:

Employment policies fail to protect against viewpoint or other discrimination and/or are ideological in nature.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

IFF’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company provides a specific benefits guide with a comprehensive explanation of transgender services funded by the company (1)(2). The company offers unconscious bias and DEI training to its People Managers (3).
IFF appears to prioritize diversity over merit in its business structure through the establishment of gender and racial targets for its leadership composition. The company is seeking “50% women in management roles, companywide” and “40% people of color (POC) in management roles in the United States” (4). The company operates a supplier diversity program. “Through our Supplier Diversity Program, we are constantly
extending our activities to achieve internal objectives that help identify,
develop and utilize certified diverse businesses. For example, in 2023,
we set an internal goal to increase spend with diverse suppliers by at least 10% compared with 2022 and surpassed this target by 25%. This included increasing spending with women-owned suppliers by 13%” (5). IFF does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (6).

Corporate Governance and Public Policy

Criteria:

Uses corporate reputation to support causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

High

Rationale:

IFF opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (1)(2). The company’s former CEO, Frank Clyburn, signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge, which includes a commitment to promote DEI through bias education training in the workplace, strategize on DEI programs/initiatives with other signatories, and engage boards of directors when developing and evaluating DEI strategies (3)(4). IFF signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare and signed the UN Global LGBTI Standards of Conduct for Business in 2019 (5)(6). The company is aligned with the Paris Agreement, which entails a commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050, though IFF’s goal is to be net zero emissions by 2040 (7). IFF supports DEI within its business practices, employing a DEI Officer (8). The company supports ESG within its business practices. From its 2023 Do More Good Report: “The ELT also integrates ESG considerations into
IFF’s operations, management approaches, policies, strategic direction and
innovation pipeline” (9). IFF supports DEI within its business practices. From its 2023 Do More Good Report: “We are focused on building a more inclusive organization where our people feel like they belong and can grow while having a positive impact on our world, and our diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) program is an essential component of that” (10).

Criteria:

Uses corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies hostile to freedom of expression.

Risk Level:

Medium

Rationale:

IFF’s HRC 2025 CEI rating indicates the company covers transgender related costs for its employees and their children, including paid short-term leave, puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, chest surgeries, genital surgeries, medical visits and lab monitoring, travel and lodging. By allowing a political stakeholder group to dictate operations, the company increases health care costs and risks dividing employees, alienating customers and harming shareholders (1)(2). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of the company using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (3).

Criteria:

Uses corporate political actions and/or financial contributions for ideological, non-business purposes.

Risk Level:

N/A

Rationale:

IFF does not operate a PAC or report on its lobbying at this time (1)(2)(3).