On September 24th, the MBA and BJS program at Vietnam Japan University together with Yoshinoya company successfully organized a seminar on Yoshinoya’s sustainable agricultural product management. In the seminar, two programs were introduced to the students of the company’s practical application of sustainable agricultural development, thereby opening more opportunities for cooperation between the two programs and the company.
Undeniably, we are living in a society that confronts global climate changes, loss of biodiversity, and serious poverty issues, especially in developing countries. In particular, in this age of globalization, not only the direct impact but also the entire supply chain, starting from the collection of raw materials, have a significant impact on the environment, and it is very important to manage it. Besides all of the major drawbacks from the macro context, Japan suffered the shrinkage of the agricultural population and dramatically decrease in the cultivated land utilization rate in Japan (to 40%). Therefore, Yoshinoya came up with the initiative of sustainable agriculture that focuses on developing two major roles. The first role is to achieve a reliable and secure supply of affordable food and to promote healthy eating practices by creating agricultural goods that are tailored to the demands of consumers. Secondly, the idea must improve farm village living conditions, promote peaceful coexistence, and convective flow between urban and agricultural areas all contributing to the revitalization of the economy and the maintenance or formation of vibrant communities. Land leveling and the use of nearby surface water also contribute to water use.
For Yoshinoya’s sustainable agricultural development initiative, their project will focus on three categories: Farm village development, farmland preservation management, and agriculture infrastructure development. In order to save resources and protect the environment, which is included in SDGs, Yoshinoya has turned the wasteland into their agricultural area by taking approximately 2 years with 2-3 months to 1 year for land reclamation. With regard to water resources, Yoshinoya did not use the closed concrete water pipeline, which prevents the movement of organisms between the fields or causes ecological imbalance. This Yoshinoya’s approach allowed the organisms in the field to move back and forth, thereby improving the quality of soil and water. It was also discovered that creatures such as eels that were not seen before have reappeared.
Yoshinoya understands the fact that preservation can not be the only step toward sustainability for a long period of time in the future. We need technological advances and innovations by conducting more research in the agricultural field. One of the prime examples to prove Yoshinoya’s commitment is the rice, which does not need to be raised and processed in a special way. There is no doubt that their special rice is one of the most consumed in Japan. Besides the ground-breaking technology, Yoshinoya also invested in its infrastructure by developing a closed cycle from vegetable and rice farms to processing plants with a synchronous logistics system. Vegetables in Yoshinoya (e.g., cabbage), after being harvested, preliminary processed will be packed and brought to the warehouse and then sent to Yoshinoya’s stores, which can guarantee their best quality to the consumer. On top of that, all the products of the company conform to the registered YGAP standards, as well as the global gap.
Communication is the essential last aspect that Yoshinoya wants to pursue to achieve the goal of sustainable agriculture. The company will organize community programs – agricultural experience sessions for the family. In those sessions, all members of the family regardless of age or gender will participate in many activities such as planting vegetables and working in the soil. By doing so, families will raise their awareness of protecting the environment and ingrain the sustainability mindset in small communities like family on the large scale can bring in a huge influence on the vast majority. Regarding leftover vegetables, Yoshinoya supplies them to the zoo without charge to reduce food loss.
Through this seminar, it is stated that Yoshinoya is doing its best to head toward sustainable agricultural product management. Their movement inspires so many individuals and organizations on the way to reaching sustainability.
References
Yoshinoya Webpage: https://www.yoshinoya.com/en/
Yoshinoya Vietnam Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YoshinoyaVietnam/