Kanematsu Corporation, Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd., and TOWING Co., Ltd. have launched a pilot experiment to address the “2050 Coffee Problem” and reduce GHG emissions across the entire supply chain. Under the experiment, the companies will introduce TOWING’s high-performance biochar “Soratan*2” to the seedling nursery at the Daterra farm*1, a coffee bean supply chain partner.
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The first phase of the pilot experiment will involve analyzing and evaluating the yield and quality of coffee beans, as well as the carbon fixation rate and quality improvement rate of farmland and soil, along with examining the potential of promoting regenerative agriculture. We plan to transition to a larger-scale experiment once tangible outcomes are confirmed. Moving forward, through enhancing the Daterra farm’s sustainable coffee production system and achieving carbon insetting*3 toward reducing GHG emissions across the entire supply chain, we aim to promote climate change mitigation measures and strengthen collaboration with supply chain partners even further, thereby co-creating a more sustainable supply chain.
Note 1: Daterra farm
A coffee farm located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Has been a trading partner with Kanematsu for over 20 years. Began supplying coffee beans for Morinaga’s Mt. RAINIER chilled coffee brand in 2005. In 2009, Morinaga launched Mt. Rainier Deep Espresso, crafted entirely from coffee beans produced at the farm.
Note 2: Soratan
A biological soil amendment created by applying TOWING’s proprietary technology for efficiently selecting and culturing soil-derived microbial communities to locally-sourced unutilized biochar. Contributes to reduced use of chemical fertilizers, transition to organic agriculture, and enhancement of crop quality and yield, among various other benefits. Expected to serve as a solution for all three major sustainability-related initiatives—not only GHG emissions reduction by carbon fixation and creation of a circular economy based on effective use of residue, which are benefits provided by regular biochar, but also becoming nature-positive through soil improvement by activating microbial communities in farm soil.
Note 3: Carbon insetting
A mechanism to reflect the benefits of GHG emissions reduction and removal efforts carried out within one company’s supply chain (e.g., acquiring or retiring carbon credits created by producers, utilizing those credits to reduce product emissions). Antonym of carbon offsetting, which involves tapping into environmental value created outside of the supply chain (e.g., acquiring carbon credits created by other companies).
| Kanematsu Corporation |  |
| Kanematsu is a pioneering importer of specialty coffee to Japan, identifying, importing, and selling high quality coffee from around the world, including the Daterra farm, for over 20 years. Green transformation is one of the key initiatives under integration 1.0, our three-year medium-term management plan launched in April 2024, with a priority area being “GX for Agriculture and Food.” We will continue to contribute to decarbonization and a circular economy through creating and supplying environmentally friendly food, aiming to make our key food supply chains more sustainable. https://www.kanematsu.co.jp/en | |
| Morinaga Milk Industry Co., Ltd. |  |
| Under the corporate slogan “For Ever Brighter Smiles,” Morinaga embarked on full-scale efforts geared toward sustainability management in 2022, formulating Sustainability Medium- to Long-Term Plan 2030. Efforts are underway to achieve the Scope 3 target of reducing GHG emissions by more than 10% by FY2030 (compared to FY2020), laid down in the “Resources and the Environment” section of the plan. In terms of the sustainability of natural capital, Morinaga will enhance support for realizing both environmentally friendly production and environmental resilience. https://www.morinagamilk.co.jp/english/ | |
| TOWING Co., Ltd. |  |
| TOWING is a green and agritech-venture company that spun off from Nagoya University in February 2020 with the mission to “realize a super-circular society based on sustainable next-generation agriculture.” The company is developing Soratan, a high-performance biochar soil amendment that reduces GHG emissions while promoting the transition to reduced chemical fertilizers and organic farming. It aims to create a sustainable food production system by upcycling unutilized biomass into Soratan. htps://towing.co.jp/pages/en | |
【Contact】
PR Section, Kanematsu Corporation Tel: +81-3-6747-5000 https://www.kanematsu.co.jp/en/inquiry/