Using ingredients efficiently and reducing leftovers can decrease household food waste. Statistical Survey on Food Loss (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2009 and 2010) 16% 54% Excessive removal during food preparation 27% Leftovers #1 Portion was too big to finish. Reasons for leftovers from the dinner table Edible leaves and peels thrown away Amount of food waste in Japan Amount of food waste generated by households Edible food waste Uneaten food Other 3% 60% 20‒40% 2‒4 million tonnes 11 million tonnes 17 million tonnes Japan generates about 17 million tonnes of food waste each year. Food waste from households accounts for 11 million tonnes. Of this, 2 to 4 million tonnes are said to be edible— leftovers, edible parts of ingredients excessively removed during preparation and cooking, food simply thrown away. To minimize these food losses in households, it is important to help individuals respect the value of food and enjoy meals enough to finish them. Food losses in Japan Data As of the end of July 2014 (Ajinomoto Group) On the website In addition to environmental recipes, the “Eco-Uma Recipe” website features expertise and ideas from professional cooks, recipes submitted by the general public, and environmentally friendly food-related activities con- ducted by children. 1 Use food without any waste! 2 Choose seasonal foods! 3 With finesse, but simple! Tasty means ecological “Is your eco-bag just an ego bag?” Encouraging readers to go beyond the eco-bag and practice truly sustainable food purchasing Newspaper ads and booklets Marking World Environment Day, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. conducted an “Eco-Uma Recipe” campaign on June 5, 2013, running ads with recipes in 40 local newspapers across Japan. The ads were also featured on the company’s website and in a booklet distributed at events. They included advice from food producers and experts in the form of “Eco-Uma” ideas and recipes for making delicious dishes which use local seasonal ingredients and also minimize leftovers and waste. “EDO Period, ECO ideas” Sharing green ideas from the food culture of Japan’s pre-modern Edo period (video clips also available) Consumer Issues Product packages are thrown away by consumers after purchase, and the Ajinomoto Group is taking steps to make this packaging more environmentally friendly. In order to en- courage consumers to select eco-friendly products whenever possible, the Group introduced its unique “Aji-na Eco” mark in autumn 2010 to help consumers instantly recognize these green products. Ever yday cooking is actually a chance to start eco-living at home, today. This is why Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has launched activities to spread environmentally friendly, delicious and smart “Eco-Uma” 1 ideas and recipes for ever yday cooking. 1 The Japanese terms for “Aji-na Eco” mark, “Eco-Uma” and “Eco-Uma Recipe” are registered trademarks of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. The Ajinomoto Group’s helpful advertising offers tips on green living that starts with the dinner table. Starting in July 2014, the Group also began offering some of this useful information in video form online, pursuing even more impactful communication. “Aji-na Eco” 1 mark products “Eco-Uma Recipe” 1 tips Helpful advertising Using products, recipes and advertising to promote green living, starting with the dinner table See “Promoting ‘Aji-na Eco’ mark products with environmental packaging” on p. 95. Reference Environmental action from the dinner table > “Eco-Uma Recipe” http://www.ajinomoto.com/jp/activity/environment/eco/ecouma/ (Japanese only) Link Proposing Sustainable Lifestyles, Starting with the Dinner Table As a food manufacturer, the Ajinomoto Group not only has the responsibility to deliver delicious and healthy foods; it also has the opportunity to help people embrace more eco-friendly lifestyles. Truly good nutrition is wholesome not only for families, but also for the earth. The Ajinomoto Group aspires to nothing less and has made this a central pursuit. The Group will continue to develop eco-friendly products and propose recipes and tips to encourage environmentally responsible living—starting right at the family dinner table. Number of “Aji-na Eco” mark products 157 “Eco-Uma Recipe” Hints 114 Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Report 2014
Transcript
Using ingredients efficiently and
reducing leftovers can decrease
household food waste.
Statistical Survey on Food Loss (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, 2009 and 2010)
16%
54%
Excessive removal during food preparation
27%
Leftovers
#1 Portion was too big to �nish.
Reasons for leftovers from the dinner table
Edible leaves and peels thrown away
Amount of foodwaste in Japan
Amount of foodwaste generated
by households
Edible foodwaste
Uneaten food
Other 3%
60%
20‒40%
2‒4 million tonnes
11 million tonnes
17 million tonnes
Japan generates about 17 million tonnes of food waste each year. Food waste from households accounts for 11 million tonnes. Of this, 2 to 4 million tonnes are said to be edible—leftovers, edible parts of ingredients excessively removed during preparation and cooking, food simply thrown away. To minimize these food losses in households, it is important to help individuals respect the value of food and enjoy meals enough to finish them.
Food losses in JapanData
As of the end of July 2014 (Ajinomoto Group)
On the website
In addition to environmental recipes, the “Eco-Uma Recipe” website features expertise and ideas from professional cooks, recipes submitted by the general public, and environmentally friendly food-related activities con-ducted by children.
1Use foodwithout
any waste!
2Choose
seasonalfoods!
3With
finesse,but simple!
Tasty means ecological
“Is your eco-bag just an ego bag?”Encouraging readers to go beyond the eco-bag and practice truly sustainable food purchasing
Newspaper ads and booklets
Marking World Environment Day, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. conducted an “Eco-Uma Recipe” campaign on June 5, 2013, running ads with recipes in 40 local newspapers across Japan. The ads were also featured on the company’s website and in a booklet distributed at events. They included advice from food producers and experts in the form of “Eco-Uma” ideas and recipes for making delicious dishes which use local seasonal ingredients and also minimize leftovers and waste.
“EDO Period, ECO ideas”Sharing green ideas from the food culture of Japan’s pre-modern Edo period (video clips also available)
Consumer Issues
Product packages are thrown away by consumers after purchase, and the Ajinomoto Group is taking steps to make this packaging more environmentally friendly. In order to en-courage consumers to select eco-friendly products whenever possible, the Group introduced its unique “Aji-na Eco” mark in autumn 2010 to help consumers instantly recognize these green products.
Everyday cooking is actually a chance to start eco-living at home, today. This is why Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has launched activities to spread environmentally friendly, delicious and smart “Eco-Uma”1 ideas and recipes for everyday cooking.1 The Japanese terms for “Aji-na Eco” mark, “Eco-Uma” and “Eco-Uma Recipe” are registered
trademarks of Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
The Ajinomoto Group’s helpful advertising offers tips on green living that starts with the dinner table. Starting in July 2014, the Group also began offering some of this useful information in video form online, pursuing even more impactful communication.
“Aji-na Eco”1 mark products
“Eco-Uma Recipe”1 tips
Helpful advertising
Using products, recipes and advertising to promote green living, starting with the dinner table
See “Promoting ‘Aji-na Eco’ mark products with environmental packaging” on p. 95.
Reference
Environmental action from the dinner table > “Eco-Uma Recipe”http://www.ajinomoto.com/jp/activity/environment/eco/ecouma/ (Japanese only)
Link
Proposing Sustainable Lifestyles, Starting with the Dinner TableAs a food manufacturer, the Ajinomoto Group not only has the responsibility to deliver delicious and healthy foods; it also has the opportunity to help people embrace more eco-friendly lifestyles. Truly good nutrition is wholesome not only for families, but also for the earth. The Ajinomoto Group aspires to nothing less and has made this a central pursuit. The Group will continue to develop eco-friendly products and propose recipes and tips to encourage environmentally responsible living—starting right at the family dinner table.
Mao began learning to cook in her mom’s kitchen when she was just five years old. After visiting the Ajinomoto Group’s booth at the Eco-Products exhibition in 2012, she started to improve her unique skills in environmentally friendly cooking, learning to minimize food waste while preparing delicious dishes using fresh seasonal ingredients.
Sayana participated in a local project organized by a volun-teer group, in which she helped with growing and sending rice to people in Africa who are suffering from hunger. Sayana learned that Mali is a country where many people struggle to get enough food, and this led her to reflect on how a lot of food is sometimes wasted in daily life in Japan. As a result, she decided to take part in Shoku-Eco activities and adopt an environmentally friendly food life-style at home.
ECO Life Book with Shoku-Eco KIDs
Consumer Issues
Ajinomoto “Shoku-Eco KIDs” Prize awarded to tomorrow’s leaders
Promoting environmental food lifestyles at home
Since 2010, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. has awarded the Ajinomoto “Shoku-Eco KIDs” Prize to youngsters whose entry in the “Green Lane” environmental diary contest1 features fun, out-standing environmental activities relating to food.
In the fourth contest, held in fiscal 2013, the prize was awarded to ten youngsters for their environmental activities. Ajinomoto Co., Inc. will continue to support the contest as a way to encourage children, the leaders of tomorrow, to practice environmentally friendly food lifestyles at home.1 As part of the contest conducted by Green Cross Japan, approximately 100,000 elementary
school students receive guidebooks on ways to address environmental problems and 12-week journals for keeping environmental diaries.
In fiscal 2013, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. began to visit elementary schools in Japan to provide environmental classes. After a hands-on lesson about dashi broth using HON-DASHI as a teaching aid, the students were introduced to the company’s environmental initiatives. These include an ecological survey on skipjack, the fish used to make HON-DASHI, and the company’s efficient manufacturing techniques for using the fish without waste. Using a specially prepared textbook, ECO Life Book with Shoku-Eco KIDs, the students enjoyed learning how to try environmentally friendly food lifestyles at home.
Shoku-Eco master prize: Mao Kamimae
Shoku-Eco global activity prize: Sayana Nakahama
115 Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Report 2014
Exhibit presents ideas for green living.
Some 100 group employees helped with the exhibition booth.
Participants living in the Kanto region gathered for the event on September 6, 2013.
Wastewater treatment demonstration
Participants living in the Kinki region gathered for the event on October 30, 2013.
Participants living in the Tohoku region gathered for the event on March 6, 2014.
Learning environmental ways to wash dishes
Lecture by Professor Hideki Ishida
Group discussion on green living
Learning about eco-friendly products and manufacturing
Kawasaki Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Sharing tips for green livingEco-Lab Museum,
Wakayama Plant, Kao Corporation
Studying the latest trends in green livingHideki Ishida Lab, Tohoku University’s
Graduate School of Environmental Studies
Firstevent
Third event
Second event
Consumer Issues
Communicating with consumers at the Eco-Products 2013 exhibition
Dialogue for a sustainable future
The Eco-Products exhibition is the largest environmental expo in Japan. In 2013, the exhibition was held at Tokyo Big Sight December 12–14, attracting more than 180,000 visitors over three days.
Four companies of the Ajinomoto Group set up a joint booth introducing the Group’s eco-products. The booth also promoted ideas for creating an eco-friendly lifestyle that begins at the dinner table, holding tasting events on the booth’s stage. This was a valuable opportunity for employees to talk directly with exhibition visitors and hear a wide spectrum of consumer opinion.
The Society for Sustainable Food & Life Styles (SSFLS) was founded by Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kao Corporation, and E-Square Inc., a CSR and environmental consulting firm. It is committed to providing information and opportunities to help consumers shift to more sustainable lifestyles.
At a forum held at Eco-Products 2012 drawing about 550 participants, the SSFLS found that many hoped to learn more about environmental companies and products, share useful knowledge on ecological lifestyles, and learn about the latest trends in green living. Following up, in fiscal 2013 the SSFLS held three events (see photos) for discussing eco-lifestyles with consumers, including tours of manufacturing and research facilities where cutting-edge green products are made.
Participants offered feedback such as, “I gained a better understanding of corporate environmental activities by visiting the manufacturing frontlines,” “It was nice to get ideas for my own green lifestyle,” and “By imagining a rewarding lifestyle, green activities become more fun.”
116Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Report 2014
Highlight
Fourth Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Forum
Ajinomoto Co., Inc. organized a forum in Saga City to showcase a biomass cycle utilization initiative of the Kyushu Plant of Ajinomoto Co., Inc. and Saga City. The initiative is part of the Japanese government’s Biomass Town project.
An example of valuable regional cooperation was presented, involving Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Saga City, and farmers. In the example, by-product biomass generated from amino acid fermentation at the Kyushu Plant of Ajinomoto Co., Inc., is used to improve the quality of compost produced by Saga City’s sewage processing plant.
The panel discussion included all the lecturers. They discussed a public-private initiative between Ajinomoto Co, Inc. and Saga City to promote economical, environmentally friendly farming in Kyushu. They also touched on the mutual benefits of the initiative and the idea of replicating it in other regions in the future.
The participants visited the Kyushu Plant of Ajinomoto Co., Inc., the Saga City sewage processing plant, and a farm that grows asparagus using fertilizer made from fermentation by-product, a biomass material. These visits enabled them to see how a biomass cycle works.
Part 1: Lectures and panel discussion
Part 2: Facilities tour
About 160 people attended the event, including members of the media, Saga City officials, local agricultural stakeholders, and Internet bloggers.
Mixing by-product biomass with compost eliminates CO2 emissions and heavy oil used for drying by-product.
By-product biomass reduces ammonia odor in sewage sludge.
The value-added compost is sold at a low cost to local farmers, makes cultivation easier, and has been reported to make vegetables taste better
Kyushu Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Saga City sewage processing plant Asparagus farm
• Opening message: Masahiro Tani, GM of Kyushu Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.• “Aiming to Become a Biomass Town”: Toshiyuki Hideshima, Mayor of Saga City• “Collaboration between Sewage Treatment and the Food Industry”:
Makoto Shirasaki, Director for Regional Sewerage Planning Coordination, MLIT• “Contributing to Local Communities through By-Product Biomass”:
Yusuke Takahashi, Agri Business Group, Kyushu Plant, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (at the time of the event)• Moderator: Kaori Fujita, EcoManagement Forum, Nikkei Business Publications, Inc.
Lectures
(Right to left) Toshiyuki Hideshima, Mayor of Saga CityMakoto Shirasaki, officer of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT)
Masahiro Tani, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.Yusuke Takahashi, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Consumer Issues
Forums to discuss an ideal future
No one entity can build a sustainable future on its own. The Ajinomoto Group recognizes the need to work with all of society to achieve this goal. The Group values opportunities to discuss community members’ vision for the future from a variety of perspectives. It is these opportunities that help the Ajinomoto Group discover what it can do to build a healthier future.
As part of this focus, the Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Forum was first held in March 2012, followed by a second forum
in December 2012, a third in March 2013, and a fourth in June 2014. Through these forums, the Group works with a number of different organizations to create a sustain-able future.
Ajinomoto Group Sustainability Forumhttp://www.ajinomoto.com/en/activity/forum/
Link
Promoting Ecological Agriculture in Kyushu—Biomass Link in Saga June 9, 2014
See “Fertilizers made from fermentation by-products aid local agriculture in Kyushu” on p. 26.
