Basic Approach
Our business has the potential to affect the local community from an economic, social and environmental standpoint in places where the Maruha Nichiro Group has business locations. We engage in appropriate communication and various activities that contribute to society in order to build good relationships toward the goal of co-existence and co-prosperity.
Medium-term Sustainability Management Plan (FY2018-2021)
Coexist with Regional Communities in Mutual Prosperity
Targets: Maruha Nichiro Group (Domestic)
Department in charge: Corporate Planning Department, Maruha Nichiro Corporation
| Target | FY2021 | Medium-term Management Plan Self-Assessment | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Action Plan (Key measures) | Achievements | ||
| Convey the importance of food and contribute to the well-being of everyone |
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★★★★☆
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| Protected the natural environment for the future |
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| Contributed to the growth of regional communities |
|
Action Plan (Key measures)
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Main Initiatives in FY2021
Food Education Activities
Case Study: Corporate Fish-eating Promotion Event “Chef-directed Parent-Child Cooking Class - How to Cook Fish at Home”
Since 2015, Maruha Nichiro Corporation has held cooking classes by chefs for parents and children nationwide to inform them about the joy and deliciousness of fish cuisine and to help them benefit by healthier diets. In FY2021, we organized two events under the theme of "Chef-directed Parent-Child Cooking Class - How to Cook Fish at Home" in October 2021 in collaboration with Osaka Gas Corporation and Keiyo Gas Corporation in November. At the outset of the event, a "fish seminar" was also held, where participants enjoyed learning about various fish trivia.
For a detailed report on the corporate events, please see our seafood promotion website.
Sakana Tabetara Fukukitaru (Japanese)
Case Study: Holding of the “For the Ocean, for life — Fish Lunch Cooking Class for the Future”
In April 2022, Maruha Nichiro Corporation organized the "For the Ocean, for life — Fish Lunch Cooking Class for the Future" to communicate the importance of ocean and fish sustainability, in collaboration with Tokyo Gas Communications, Inc. in March 2022 and with Osaka Gas Cooking School Co., Ltd. in April 2022.
With the goal of educating people about sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, we created food using the Company's MSC certification and ASC certification products. At the outset of the fish seminar, an explanation was given about the severe situation of marine resources amid the rising popularity of fish eating around the world. Next, the MSC Marine Eco-Label and the ASC logo was introduced as a way to identify sustainable seafood products that ensure everyone can continue to eat delicious fish.
Case Study: Broadcasting of the "Fish Kitchen," Cooking Class for Parents and Children
As a new project in FY2021, we collaborated with Tokyo Bay Network to record the "Fish Kitchen," a cooking class for parents and children.
It was broadcast in Koto-ku and Chuo-ku for two weeks from March 27, 2022, and was further broadcast on cable TV throughout Japan, reaching 1.05 million households by July.
While it was difficult to hold cooking classes throughout Japan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company's cooking advisors introduced easy yet authentic recipes using Maruha Nichiro's canned foods to inform a larger number of people about the joy and deliciousness of fish cuisine. This program can also be viewed at "Sakana Tabetara Fukukitaru" which is seafood promotion website.
Sharing Information about Food Education
The Maruha Nichiro Group will disseminate a variety of information related to food education to our stakeholders. We disseminate information on our website for everyone to learn, enjoy and acquire knowledge our seafood promotion websites, Salmon Museum and Fish Gallery.
Environmental Activities
Case Study: Ongoing Cooperation with Tokyo Bay Restoration Eelgrass Project
The Maruha Nichiro Group has been participating in activities since 2014 to restore eelgrass beds, which improve water quality in Tokyo Bay, serve as habitats for aquatic organisms, and conserve the coastal environment. Since 2016, we have been selected as a partner company in the Tokyo Bay UMI Project (Project for everyone to love the sea and Tokyo Bay) launched by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to improve the environment of Tokyo Bay.
Eelgrass is a species of seaweed that grows naturally around sandy coastlines at a depth of one to several meters and is called the "cradle of the sea" because it serves as a nursery and spawning ground for sea creatures. In addition to cleaning the seawater through the absorption of nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus, recent years have seen a growing interest in "blue carbon," the carbon dioxide captured and sequestered by seaweed beds of eelgrass and other seaweeds and seagrasses. Not only does it absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and supply oxygen to the ocean, but the carbon incorporated into the sediments on the seafloor of algal beds is stored for thousands of years, and thus it has become a promising new absorber in combating climate change. The Maruha Nichiro Group has been harvesting flowering branches of eelgrass as an internal Group corporate event under the guidance of the NPO Association for Shore Environment Creation. While the event was canceled in FY2020 and FY2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing environmental activities involving smaller numbers of people were held on a smaller scale.
In FY2022, the event was held on Saturday, June 4 on Kaneda Beach, Kisarazu the first time in three years, with 33 Maruha Nichiro Group employees and their families participating and harvesting approximately 2,000 flowering branches. Each flowering branch produces about 20 seeds, which means that about 40,000 seeds were harvested. On June 12 (Sun.), we also visited the Nishi-Tottori Fishing Port in Hannan City, Osaka Prefecture, to observe eelgrass restoration activities being conducted there.
Looking forward, we aim to quantify the results of activities such as preservation of biodiversity and carbon dioxide absorption through eelgrass bed restoration activities, and we seek to continue and expand these activities in cooperation with activity groups and the government.
Case Study: Participation in Yume Wakame Workshop and Planting Eelgrass
Maruha Nichiro Corporation participated in the Yume Wakame Workshop and Planting Eelgrass hosted by NPO Association for Shore Environment Creation and the eelgrass planting hosted by the Kanto Regional Development Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism in Rinko Park, Minato Mirai area of Nishi Ward, the city of Yokohama on Saturday, November 27, 2021.
The event has been open to the general public with over 200 participants every year, but from FY2020, it is open to participation by staff only due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Yume Wakame Workshop is held to clean the marine environment that has undergone eutrophication through cultivation of seaweed. At the workshop, seed planting of wakame (attachment of seed thread) was performed, while grown wakame was harvested in mid-February.
Planting eelgrass is performed in order to restore a rich marine environment and lost eelgrass beds due to large scale landfills during Japan's period of rapid economic growth. On the day of the event, we planted seeds using eelgrass seeds from Kaneda Beach in Kisarazu City, Chiba Prefecture, where the Company also collected flowering branches.
Case Study: National Eelgrass Summit 2021 in Aomori “Nature Restoration in the Ocean , High School Summit”
Since 2017, Maruha Nichiro Corporation has sponsored the “Nature Restoration in the Ocean High School Summit” held as part of the program of the National Eelgrass Summit. The objective of the summit is for high school students nationwide engaged in efforts to restore the natural environment in the ocean to exchange ideas and information on their projects and to grow as leaders of the next generation.
In FY2021, it was held in Aomori on Saturday, January 8, 2022. Students from 10 high schools around Japan (the original plan was 11 high schools) participated and engaged in presentations of the content of nature restoration activities of local and rivers respectively. Lively discussions were among participants. We were able to present a platform for students to engage in presentations and interactions.
Case Study: Cleaning Activities around Offices throughout Japan
The Maruha Nichiro Group conducts cleaning activities around its plants and offices throughout Japan and is working toward the beautification of local environments.
We participated a number of cleaning activities around the offices in FY2021. We will continue to conduct these activities going forward.
Case Study: “Make Sea Happy!” Coastal Cleanup Activity
“Make Sea Happy!” is the Group's cleanup activity taking into account the problem of marine plastics.
In these activities, in addition to simply picking up waste, the waste picked up is tabulated, recorded by the secretariat, and then provided to the Japan Environmental Action Network (JEAN Corporation) as part of its cooperation in surveys to provide information on waste.
Click here for information on “Make Sea Happy!” Cleanup Activities
Regional Contribution Activities
Case Study: Aomori Nebuta Festival
Since entering a large-scale Nebuta float in 1953, for the purpose of supporting regional development, Maruha Nichiro Corporation has participated in the Nebuta Festival* every year (except some years) for over half a century.
In 2022, it was held the first time in three years since 2019 with appropriate infection control measures in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Company also participated in the festival by creating a large-scale Nebuta (a traditional Japanese float) depicting "Gouketsu Bushou Mokotaiji," which was enjoyed by the local people and many tourists.
*Aomori Nebuta is one of the three big festivals in the Tohoku region registered as a National Important Intangible Folk Cultural Asset.
Case Study: 27th Toyosu Festa
Maruha Nichiro Corporation participated in the Toyosu Festa sponsored by the Koto City Culture and Community Foundation at the Koto City Toyosu Civic Center on Saturday, October 23, 2021.
Local businesses and organizations participated in this event to interact with local residents, and Maruha Nichiro Corporation exhibited "make your own souvenir canned items". The event attracted participation by 30 people as an event enjoyed by families with children.
Case Study: The Swan-Canning Estuary Restoration Campaign in Perth, Australia
Austral Fisheries Pty Limited supports the Swan-Canning Estuary restoration campaign which aims to restore the once abundant shellfish reefs in the mouth of the estuary that runs through the center of Perth and improve the river environment.
This project is being conducted by the international NGO, The Nature Conservancy, and aims to restore the ecology of the river.
Case study: Activities to Recover the Number of Salmon Runs in the Rivers of the Nooksack Region of the U.S.
Trans-Ocean Products Inc. participates in environmental conservation activities to recover the number of salmon runs in the spawning region of Whatcom County, Washington with the nonprofit Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (https://www.n-sea.org/) through activities at least once a month.
In December 2021, non-native plant species were eliminated and native species were planted along the banks of the Squalicum River, which runs behind the plant facilities of Trans-Ocean Products Inc.
Trans-Ocean Products Inc. will continue to contribute to the growth of the region through activities with the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association.
Cultural and Educational Activities
Case Study: Activities to Support Education and Learning for Junior High School Students Through Study Visits
Maruha Nichiro Corporation regularly accepts visiting junior high and high school students as part of our education and learning support program to provide students with opportunities to learn about and deepen their understanding of the Company's business and activities related to the SDGs.
In FY2021, we accepted visits (partly online) from Shibaura Institute of Technology Junior High School, Mitaka City Junior High School No. 6, and Arakawa Ward Junior High School No. 4 to introduce the Company's business activities and its efforts to achieve the SDGs through its business activities.
As interest in the SDGs grows in the whole society, the number of opportunities to learn about the SDGs as part of the school curriculum is increasing, and there are more and more inquiries from junior and senior high school students and university students about the Company's activities.
Case study: Yayoi Sunfoods Co., Ltd. Activities to Support Cambodia Yayoi School
Cambodia's Yayoi School was donated by the former Yayoi Foods to Kontarnan Elementary School in Cambodia in 2008, in cooperation with the Japan Team of Young Human Power, as a project to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Company's founding.
In FY2021, we donated hygiene supplies and stationery to help with hygiene education to ensure that children can maintain a life with peace of mind as much as possible despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Cambodian government also selects model schools in the region based on the presence of overseas business supporters, the sanitary conditions of the premises, and an assessment of the extent of playground equipment.
In 2021, Kontarnan Elementary School was designated as a model school in the region, receiving the highest acclaim in terms of the school's environment and management skills, partly thanks to the effectiveness of the support provided by Yayoi Sun Foods. As a result, a new school building has been constructed and a new educational system will be introduced in the future.
Activities to Support Cambodia Yayoi School in FY2021 (Japanese)
Activities Related to Donations
Case Study: Support for Medical Professionals
Maruha Nichiro Corporation has worked together with Capital Medica Co., Ltd., which supports hospital management, in order to support those who are involved in operations including infection prevention and treatment at the forefront of the medical settings through food, donating its products to a total of 6 hospitals.
Case Study: Support for Food Banks/Children's Cafeterias
Since 2009, the Maruha Nichiro Group has been implementing activities to donate food products that are still edible but can no longer be sold to NPO Association engaged in food bank activities*. The Group's activities include contributing to efforts to improve social welfare as well as to reduce the food loss. In FY2021 as well, we donated frozen foods and other products to organizations such as Second Harvest Japan, Food Bank Kanagawa, and Food Bank Harima, which are engaged in food bank activities.
*Food bank activities: Donating food products, which can still be eaten but are difficult to distribute for various reasons, to those in need free of charge
In addition, Maruha Nichiro Corporation donated canned foods and frozen food to two groups,
NPO Lion Heart, located in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, and Specified Nonprofit Corporation Yappesu in
Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, which operate children's cafeterias in order to support children
and their families facing various difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Case study: Donate to NPO Keep Moms Smiling
Maruha Nichiro Corporation received a request for relief supplies from NPO Keep Moms Smiling and donated its own products. Keep Mom Smiling distributes free of charge “support packs” containing essential daily necessities and hygiene items to mothers accompanying their children during long-term hospital stays. In response to requests to provide room-temperature products that can be eaten immediately in the hospital, we donated canned foods, which were also used in the "DHA Challenge," with the hope that they would supplement insufficient nutrition.
Case study: Activities to Donate Foods at Overseas Group Companies
Sai Gon Food Joint Stock Company donated foods to people in Vietnam who were forced to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and to those who suffered from floods caused by typhoons and heavy rains, as well as to those who are making efforts for recovery. The Maruha Nichiro Group will continue promoting to contribute to the development of regional communities through providing foods.
Looking Ahead
In FY2021, we were able to conduct a wide range of activities, such as by organizing cooking classes at four sites across Japan, broadcasting a cooking classes for parents with children and expanding regions to conduct Coastal Cleanup “Make Sea Happy!” From now on, we will actively work to promote new activities in cooperation with companies in Toyosu while resuming corporate events previously canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
